Kenya has finally received a vital shipment of life-saving vaccines, bringing hope to thousands of families after enduring months of severe shortages that left many children vulnerable to preventable diseases.
On June 11, Dr. Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Medical Services, officially received the delivery, which contained 3.2 million doses of oral polio vaccine and 3 million doses of BCG vaccine.
The handover was attended by Dr. Bashir Issak, Director of Family Health, Dr. Rose Jalango, Head of the National Vaccines and Immunization Programme (NVIP), alongside senior officials from the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Distribution to the country's nine central depots began on June 12, with delivery to health facilities across all 47 counties scheduled immediately after.
Dr. Oluga highlighted the severity of the shortage, stating that 12 counties had completely depleted their vaccine supplies, while 35 others had stocks that would last less than 10 days. Many mothers had been turned away from health facilities for up to three months.
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The shortage stemmed from delays in the National Treasury’s release of co-financing payments to Gavi and UNICEF, halting vaccine procurement and leaving thousands of newborns unprotected. However, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed that the Treasury has now released Ksh.900 million to UNICEF, allowing the resumption of vaccine deliveries.
Experts had warned that the shortage threatened to undo years of progress in child health and immunization, with an estimated 80,000 children missing critical vaccinations.
To address the backlog, the Ministry of Health will launch a nationwide catch-up immunization campaign starting June 15, ensuring all children who missed their vaccines will be traced and fully immunized.
