Dr. Patrick Amoth has announced allocation of KSh 4.9B for vaccines by the Treasury to curb shortage in the country. Photo: MOH X.
Ministry of Health has announced that the country will not experience shortage of vaccines as witnessed in the past few months, after thousands of babies missed on vaccinations as hospitals recorded a shortage of crucial vaccines.
The Ministry stated that the National Treasury has allocated KSh 4.9 billion in the Financial year 2025/2026, for vaccines. According to the Ministry’s health Director Patrick Amoth, Health CS Aden Duale is in talks with the treasury to ensure that the allocated funds for vaccines is guaranteed.
“We have Mpox vaccines in the country that will be deployed. This vaccine provides up to 5 years and it will be given to 9 months to 14 years,” stated Amoth.
According to the Ministry’s data, over 3,000 cases of measles was recorded, and a significant number of deaths resulting from measles, which could have been avoided with the availability of the vaccines.
The Ministry is currently targeting 15 million children in the national wide 10-day vaccine program, which aims to avoid deaths and health issues that affect children after getting measles. The exercise is expected to be sustained by the funds that will be released by the Treasury.
After the country received shipment of 3.2 million doses of oral polio vaccine and 3 million doses of BCG vaccination, Health Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Ouma Oluga announced plans by the Ministry to launch a national catch-up vaccination campaign, where mothers whose babies missed on the vaccines will be traced to take their babies to the health facilities for the missed vaccines.
“All children born in the last three months and who left the hospitals without vaccination will be traced and fully immunized,” Oluga announced earlier.
The shortage had raised alarms among health professionals, warning of years of reversal progress in child survival and disease prevention, with an estimation of 80,000 children missing out, on the vital vaccines during the shortage.
