Kericho: Kericho County’s Health Department will this Friday, July 4, 2025, roll out a 10-day vaccination campaign against measles, rubella, and typhoid, targeting children aged 9 months to 14 years, in a renewed push to shield the community from the three life-threatening communicable diseases.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Kericho County Chief Officer in charge of Health Services, Dr. Japheth Cheruiyot, said the campaign, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with county governments and health partners, will run until July 13, 2025, and will involve extensive outreach activities across all six sub-counties in Kericho County to ensure no eligible child is left out.
Dr. Cheruiyot urged parents and caregivers to present their children for vaccination at various public health facilities during the campaign, assuring them that the vaccines are safe, effective, and approved by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization.
Meanwhile, the Kericho County Health Promotion Officer Geoffrey Kigen explained that children aged between 9 and 59 months will receive the measles-rubella vaccine, while children aged 9 months to 14 years will be given the typhoid vaccine, emphasizing that the vaccines, although injectable, have been proven through research and practice to be safe and are the most reliable method of preventing these diseases.
The vaccines will be administered free of charge in all public health facilities, selected schools, churches, markets, and other community-based outreach centres to maximize access, especially in underserved and remote areas. Parents and guardians are encouraged to take the exercise seriously by ensuring their children receive the recommended doses during the scheduled period.
The Kericho County Health Promotion Officer also mentioned that, to ensure proper documentation and follow-up, every child vaccinated will be marked with indelible ink on the left middle finger and issued with an official vaccination card as proof of immunization.
Kigen noted that measles and rubella are highly contagious diseases that spread through air droplets from coughing or sneezing, while typhoid is caused by bacteria and spreads through the consumption of food or water contaminated with human waste. He said outbreaks of these diseases can result in serious health complications and sometimes death if not prevented or treated early.
He added that signs of measles include fever, a widespread rash, red eyes, a persistent cough, and a runny nose. Any child showing these symptoms should be taken immediately to the nearest health facility for diagnosis and care.
‘We are calling on all parents, guardians, and community leaders to support this critical public health initiative by ensuring that every eligible child is vaccinated. This is a chance to protect our children from preventable illness and ensure healthier communities,’ said Mr. Kigen.
He stated that Kericho County has set a target to vaccinate 95 percent of all eligible children during the campaign in order to achieve sufficient community immunity and prevent future outbreaks.
According to the Health Ministry, the campaign is part of an ongoing public health strategy to increase immunization coverage and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases that continue to threaten child health and development in Kenya.