By Arnold Ageta
As the Ministry of Health prepares for the integrated measles-rubella and typhoid conjugate vaccine supplementary immunization campaign, Nyamira County has held sensitization exercises for various stakeholders.
The County Director of Primary Healthcare, John Kimani, has confirmed that the county, in conjunction with the National Vaccines and Immunization Program (NVIP), will conduct the vaccinations between July 5 and July 14, 2025.
“Children aged between 9 months and 59 months will receive the Measles-Rubella vaccine, while those aged between 9 months and 14 years will receive the typhoid vaccine,” Kimani announced.
Addressing the media in his office, Kimani stated they are targeting to vaccinate 304,826 children for both measles and typhoid in various vaccination centers that will be established within the county.
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“We are targeting to vaccinate 239,000 children against typhoid and 65,818 for measles in all health facilities, schools, churches, mosques, and other mobile centers,” he added.
Healthcare workers and Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) will be conducting the vaccination exercises in urban centers and other mobile centers as needed.
“The county has in the recent past continued to record cases of measles and typhoid among children under the age of 14, and this exercise will seek to reduce or eliminate these cases in Nyamira,” said Kimani.
The Director of Primary Health further assured parents that the vaccines have been tested and are safe for children, urging them to ensure their children are vaccinated.
The vaccines will be administered through injections in the arms to help curb these infectious viral infections among children, assuring them of a healthy future free from measles and typhoid.
To ensure a smooth and successful vaccination campaign, the county has been holding stakeholder sensitization campaigns.
The sensitization campaigns have been held in all sub-counties, drawing people from the health sector, religious organizations, education, civil society, among others.
According to Jackline Nyamusi, County Health Promoter, measles and typhoid are among the viral infections that cause death among children.
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She said, “Globally, 3 to 6 percent of those who get measles die, with 10.3 million cases recorded in 2023. Africa accounts for 64 percent of the figure above.”
She confirmed that in 2025, 663 suspected cases have already been recorded, with 169 cases confirmed.
Addressing the stakeholders at the Nyamira County Referral Hospital during the sensitization session, Nyamusi urged them to encourage parents to have their children vaccinated.
“Many parents ignore such vaccination campaigns, citing concerns about the safety of the vaccines for their children,” she regretted. “These vaccines that are going to be administered to our children are safe and have been approved by the government.”
The Ministry of Health reports that typhoid affects children under 15 years, contributing to high morbidity, high treatment costs, and school absenteeism.
