Over 30,000 children missed routine jabs in Trans Nzoia

 

The Covid-19 pandemic caused more than 30,000 children in Trans Nzoia county to miss out on various vaccinations recommended by the Ministry of Health.

The county vaccination officer Angeline Otieno says they target to vaccinate not less than 28,000 children in a three-month Periodic Intensified Routine Immunisation exercise that is ongoing.

Otieno spoke during a health sector stakeholders meeting at the Kitale county referral hospital on Thursday.

She said the exercise would ensure that the county is free from preventable diseases and also targets children who were not vaccinated following the outbreak of coronavirus.

The county says all children must receive the vaccinations for polio, measles, rubellah 2 and HPV  for girls aged between 10 and 14 as recommended by the Ministry of Health.

Otieno said the number of parents taking their children for vaccination in Trans Nzoia has reduced drastically owing to the spread of Covid-19 which affected movement and hospital attendance by many Kenyans.

She said they have deployed teams to carry out the door to door vaccinations for three months ending February next year.

“The Periodic Intensified Routine Immunisation activities that will last 100 days targets to eradicate preventable diseases and children who were not vaccinated in 2020, following the outbreak of Covid-19,” she said.

Otieno said routine vaccination of children is always supposed to end by the age of one year.

“I want to call upon the community to ensure that we have vaccinated all children as the vaccines are administered free of charge. Schools and churches should join hands to ensure the vaccination exercise is successful,” she added.

Her sentiments were echoed by Health Promotion officer Leah Okumu who reiterated the county government's commitment to addressing the issues affecting immunisation of all children.

“The county targets 95 per cent of unvaccinated children and 70 per cent of girls for HPV vaccine,”she said.

Okumu said the county has 115 health care facilities that offer vaccination and immunisation. It has also organised outreaches in markets and churches, targeting all children below the age of 5 who have not been vaccinated.

She called on the stakeholders to mobilise the parents for the routine vaccination including during weekends.

The county says it has adequate vaccines to ensure all children are covered and parents who resist will face the law.    BY THE STAR