SIAYA COUNTY targets over 400,000 children in a grand vaccination campaign against measles and tuberculosis that kicked off at the County Referral Hospital today Saturday 5 July, 2025.
The exercise which was presided over by County Committee Member in charge of Health Dr Martin K’Onyango saw religious leaders being urged to support the vaccination efforts currently underway.
“We urge the religious leaders to support Countywide measles-rubella and typhoid roll out to boost public trust and its uptake, “said K’Onyango.
“We are in partnership with religious leaders and Education Ministry and would go to an extent of undertaking the exercise in churches and schools so as to achieve our target,” he added.
“The religious leaders have been equipped with accurate information and advocacy tools to promote the vaccines and routine immunization programs,” he said.
K’Onyango who was accompanied by Dr David Soti, the Technical Advisor Office of Health D-G , Public Health Consultant and a member of the Kenya Immunization Technical Advisory(KITA Group) Prof. Dismas Ongóre Public Health Director Ken Orwenjo, County Immunization Coordinator Joshua Ondiege, County Health Services Coordinator Stephen Oyamo said the exercise would take 10 days and targets children from 9 moths to 59 months.
He added that the exercise seeks to reach 7.5 million children aged between nine months and five years for measles and 19.2 million children aged between nine months and 14 years with the typhoid conjugate vaccine.
Siaya targets to vaccinate 125,000 children against typhoid and more than 400,000 against measles.
County Health team including the primary health care providers (community health promoters) have been trained and equipped with key strategies to ensure effective coverage across all six sub counties.
“We have carried out the necessary training and equipped our staff with all that is required to ensure the campaign is successful,” he said.
The national goal is to reach at least 95 percent measles coverage and 80 per cent typhoid coverage.
Dr Soti added that any child that is vaccinated against the measles and TB does not suffer symptoms or suffer the disease.
Dr Soti assured Kenyans that the two vaccines are safe for administering.
“Typhoid remains a serious public health threat, especially for children under 15 and even more so for those under five and with rising antimicrobial resistance and poor water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, this vaccine is not just timely, it’s essential,” he said.
Kenya’s last nationwide measles campaign was conducted in 2016. Since then, more than 6.1 million children have become susceptible, raising the risk of outbreaks.
This is amid stagnating vaccine coverage currently at just 80 percent for MR1 and 60 per cent for MR2 doses.
According to Medical Officer in-charge of Alego-Usonga Jonathan Inno, by managing the diseases, we create hard immunity.
“We shall do thorough vaccination from day 1 to 8 so that the 9th and 10th day, we mop up the remaining lot,” said Inno.
Mr Inno said that 31 teams will run the exercise including 62 health workers and all Community Health Promoters
“We shall undertake the surveillance in order to detect unattended lot. At the facilities, we shall have a big catch-up, children that missed other immunizations will be vaccinated,” Mr Inno added.
The exercise kicked off by cake cutting and more than 20 children were vaccinated on the first day.
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