Typhoid jab retained in vaccine schedule with 16.1mn children reached » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – The Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) will now be available free of charge at all immunizing health facilities across Kenya, the Ministry of Health has announced.

MoH confirmed the retention of the jab following a landmark national campaign that reached 16.1 million children and achieved 84 percent national coverage.

The ministry hailed the 10-day vaccination drive, which ended on Tuesday, as one of the largest and most successful in Kenya’s history.

The campaign, which began on July 5, surpassed early momentum with 12.1 million children having received the TCV jab by July 13 — well on track toward the initial 19.2 million target.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale commended the strong public response, saying the permanent availability of the TCV vaccine in health facilities marks a new phase in Kenya’s fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.

“Now that the typhoid vaccine is integrated into routine immunization, we urge parents to take advantage of this opportunity to protect their children,” he said.

The campaign also recorded parallel success in the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination component, which reached 5.18 million children—including 74,000 zero-dose children.

The effort achieved 81 per cent of the MR coverage target, reinforcing the comprehensive nature of the dual campaign.

To combat rising misinformation around vaccine safety, the Ministry emphasized that both vaccines are WHO-approved and safe, urging Kenyans to seek information from credible health sources.