By Veronicah Stellah
The Ministry of Health has announced the arrival of children’s vaccines following an acute shortage that affected many health facilities across the country. In a statement, Medical Services PS Harry Kimtai confirmed that the Ministry has received substantial doses of various childhood vaccines, including Measles-Rubella, Oral Polio, Tetanus-Diphtheria, and BCG vaccines.
“We are pleased to announce the receipt of the following vaccines: 1,209,500 doses of Measles-Rubella vaccine, 3,032,000 doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV), 1,000,000 doses of Tetanus-Diphtheria vaccine, and 3,129,000 doses of BCG vaccine,” Kimtai stated.
The vaccines are currently being processed for urgent distribution to the nine regional vaccine stores across the country. To expedite this process, the Ministry of Health has engaged additional refrigerated trucks to ensure the vaccines reach health facilities and communities by the second week of June.
Kimtai called on healthcare workers to collaborate with community health teams to ensure that all children who missed vaccinations return to health facilities to catch up on their immunization schedules. “We also urge all caregivers to bring their children back to the facilities for immunization as the vaccine supply has now normalized in the country,” he added.
The Ministry is also exploring innovative options for sustainable financing of vaccine procurement and program operations to prevent future stockouts. “We will continue engaging the National Treasury to ensure increased and dedicated resources are allocated to the immunization program, ensuring stable vaccine supplies,” assured Kimtai.
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