A vaccination campaign targeting typhoid and rubella has been rolled out in Kwale County, focusing on school-going children.
The initiative, funded by UNICEF, is being implemented by the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya in collaboration with the national and county governments.
According to Emaculate Mungai, the chairperson of the Kwale Women of Faith Network, the campaign is targeting children between the ages of nine months and 14 years.
She said the move is part of a broader effort to improve child health and reduce the spread of preventable diseases in the region.
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Mungai noted that many children in remote and underserved areas often miss out on routine immunizations due to limited access to health services.
She said the campaign seeks to bridge that gap by bringing the vaccines closer to where children are, especially in schools and religious centers.
“Many families in remote areas lack access to routine immunization. Through this initiative, we are bringing services closer to them and giving every child a chance to live a healthy life,” she said.
Mungai said the vaccination drive has been successful with the majority of the children in various areas and schools receiving the jabs.
She called on parents, teachers, and religious leaders to support the exercise by ensuring all eligible children are taken for vaccination during the campaign period.
“This campaign is crucial in protecting our children from typhoid and rubella. We are urging parents to cooperate and ensure that no child is left out,” she said.
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Mungai said for those who will miss the vaccines during the mass vaccination drive, they can get them in a nearby health dispensary for free of charge.
Kidimu Dispensary Nurse Grace Thubi also urged the public not to ignore such initiatives.
She said the two diseases, typhoid and rubella pose serious health and economic challenges to families and communities, hence the need to vaccinate children at the right time to prevent future complications.
Thubi added that typhoid remains a major public health concern in areas with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water.
“Vaccination is a proven way to protect our children from illnesses that can easily be avoided. I encourage every parent to take this opportunity seriously,” she said.
She said that local health workers have been deployed across various schools and community points to ease access to the vaccine and ensure the exercise runs smoothly.
BY OMAR SHABAN
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