Shadrack Nyakoe
Parents across Kenya can breathe a sigh of relief as the country has received 9.3 million doses of essential vaccines to protect against tuberculosis, measles, and rubella.
The consignment includes 2.3 million doses of the BCG vaccine and 7 million doses of the measles-rubella vaccine. The Ministry of Health confirmed the arrival of the vaccines on Wednesday 22 January, 2025, with distribution already underway to regional depots nationwide.
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Health Director-General Patrick Amoth assured the public that the vaccines would last for six months and that the ministry has systems in place to ensure uninterrupted supply. “We have maintained a buffer stock of vaccines sufficient for six months to guarantee uninterrupted supply,” Amoth said, adding that any isolated distribution challenges would be promptly addressed.
Nine regional depots have already received the BCG vaccines from the central vaccine store in Kitengela. Nairobi received the largest allocation with 450,000 doses, followed by Kisumu (300,000), Kakamega (276,000), Nakuru (264,000), Eldoret (290,000), Mombasa (120,000), Garissa (120,000), Nyeri (90,000), and Meru (90,000). An additional 234,000 doses remain at the central store as buffer stock.
The Ministry of Health also announced that by next week, Kenya will receive 486,000 doses of the rotavirus vaccine, 2.3 million doses of the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine, 1.2 million doses of the pentavalent vaccine, and 960,000 doses of the oral polio vaccine, expected by February 3, 2025.
This shipment comes as a significant relief following a month-long shortage of the BCG vaccine, which had left some counties with limited supplies and others completely without stock. The new delivery marks a critical step in ensuring consistent immunization programs and protecting children across the country.
