Children At Risk As Vaccination Shortage Worsens In County Hospitals

Baringo County Hospital is one of the many public hospitals nationwide facing a shortage of critical child vaccinations.

According to Baringo County Hospital Superintendent Gerishon Abakalwa, the county operates on the red line, with existing child vaccination stockpiles expected to survive for the next two weeks.

Gerishon Abakalwa, Medical Superintendent of Baringo Hospital, voiced alarm, saying, "What we have may not last us until mid-June, when the regional store said they would be available."

We are running low on oral polio, BCG measles, rubella, and yellow fever. And this is a regional issue, not a Baringo one."

In Migori, the county also reported a shortfall of Measles, Rubella, and Pentavalent vaccinations, urging the Ministry of Health to guarantee the cargo comes by the first week of June, as scheduled.

Migori's Director of Public Health, Tom Odhong, commented, "I am just crossing my fingers that by that two weeks nationally, we shall have the supply of those vaccines to ensure that our children get the immunity they require from these antigens."

Medical Services PS Harry Kimtai stated last week that the statewide vaccination scarcity was caused by the government's enormous 3.6 billion shillings debt to UNICEF and GAVI, who acquire and distribute vaccines under a co-funding arrangement.

Beginning in March of this year, the Council of Governors raised concerns about the severe scarcity of five child immunizations in devolved units, including polio, BCG, and measles-rubella.

While blaming the Treasury for the increasing debt, the Ministry of Health stated that it had put aside 250 million shillings to purchase a shipment of vaccinations, which would arrive in the country by the first week of June.