The Ministry of Health has announced it will begin carrying out a measles vaccination campaign in six counties where the risk of infection is high.
This was as a result of confirmed measles and rubella cases in some counties. The counties targeted by this campaign are Nairobi, Mandera, Turkana, Marsabit, West Pokot and Garissa.
This campaign is set to begin on December 9 and end on December 18 this year targeting children aged 9 to 59 months.
The MoH made the announcement on its social media accounts saying the outbreak in those counties was as a result of low measles immunization.
“The MoH Kenya plans to conduct a measles-rubella vaccination campaign in six counties. We target all children between 9 months and 5 years,” the Ministry said on Twitter.
According to 2019 immunization data from UNICEF and the WHO, measles vaccination in Kenya has been on the decline since 2016 while infections continue to rise.
Measles and rubella are highly infectious and serious diseases caused by viruses, for which human beings are the only reservoir.
Rubella is a viral illness that causes a mild fever and a skin rash and is spread through contact with fluid from the nose and throat. It can be prevented with a rubella vaccine.
According to the Ministry of Health Measles is the third most common cause of deaths among children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
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