Ministry procures 6.2m vaccine doses for Polio and BCG

DOUGLAS NAMUNANE- KNA

The Ministry of Health has secured 3.2 million doses of Polio as well as 3 million Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines to address the commodities shortage being experienced in the country.

Making the pronouncement at his Afya House office in Nairobi, Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Oluga has said the 3.2 million doses of Polio vaccines are undergoing clearance at the Port of Mombasa while the BCG vaccines are expected in the country early this week.

“We have received actually 3.2 million doses of polio and then we are expecting another 3 million doses of BCG vaccine and so really there is no cause for alarm”, he stated. The announcement comes in the wake of commodities shortage concerns expressed by a number of health facilities in at least 12 affected counties. 

But Dr. Oluga sought to allay fears, stating the Ministry of Health has initiated the redistribution exercise, ensuring that Counties that have stock share with those running out of the vaccines.

“As we speak, there are 35 counties that still have the vaccine and around 12 counties that have run out of the vaccine and what we are doing is to redistribute.

"For example, we have taken some vaccines from Garissa back to Nairobi, from Meru and Embu back to other counties in Western and we are trying to make sure that we share what we have in the next few weeks”, he stated.

The PS also revealed the Ministry of Health through the National Vaccines and Immunization Program (NVIP) has embarked on a nationwide catch-up programme to ensure that all children are immunized.