The Ministry of Health has announced the arrival of Mpox vaccine doses to curb the outbreak of the disease in the country.
In a statement on Thursday, April 10, the Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, confirmed that the country has received 10,700 doses of the Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccine, which will first be distributed to 13 counties.
According to Duale, the vaccines, which he said 'will not target the general population', will be dispatched to high-risk groups of people in 13 affected counties, which include Busia, Mombasa, Nakuru, Makueni, Bungoma, Nairobi, Kajiado, Taita Taveta, Kericho, Kilifi, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, and Migori, which have a total of 67 cases.
The high-risk groups to be prioritised during the vaccination include individuals who have been in close physical contact with a confirmed Mpox patient, long-distance drivers, sex workers, and healthcare workers who are providing direct care to Mpox patients.
"These vaccines have been received through collaborative efforts by the Government of Kenya with support from Africa CDC, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance," he said.
"The deployment will not target the general population but will prioritize high-risk groups, starting with the counties reporting confirmed cases," he said.
The CS assured that the vaccine, which has a Vaccine Effectiveness (VE) rate of 82 per cent for two doses given four weeks apart, has been proven to be safe in reducing the disease's severity, transmission risk, and mortality.
The ministry has, however, not disclosed when exactly the vaccination process in these countries will kick off.
Since December 31, 2024, when the ministry announced the disease outbreak, the CS has noted that there has been a sharp rise in Mpox cases, with the cases having doubled in the past three months.
According to Duale, of the 67 reported cases, one death has been reported, 49 patients have recovered, 10 are currently being admitted, and seven are under home-based care.
The ministry has assured that the vaccine is a reinforcement of the already deployed strategies, which include surveillance at the 26 points of entry, contact tracing, testing of suspected cases, and risk communication, which are meant to interrupt the chain of transmission of the disease.
The ministry has urged Kenyans to continue adhering to the recommended preventative measures, which include avoiding close contact with mpox cases, good hygiene, limiting sexual partners, reporting any suspected case to healthcare workers, and verifying circulating information on the disease to break the disease transmission.
"Cumulatively, 4,111,811 travellers screened in 26 Points of Entry, as part of enhanced surveillance for the disease. Laboratory testing of suspected cases continues, and the National Public Health Laboratory has received 485 samples: 67 have tested positive (positivity rate: 13.8%) and 414 have tested negative," he said.
