920,000 children in high-risk counties vaccinated against polio, says WHO

At least 920,000 children have been vaccinated against polio in the recent campaign across the high-risk North Eastern counties of Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, and Garissa.

In a statement on Tuesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) commended the government for its efforts in containing the spread of the virus in these vulnerable areas.

In addition to the children in these four counties, 17,000 children from border areas also benefited from the vaccination drive conducted in February.

The vaccination campaign took place between February 21 and 25, 2025, as part of the second phase of mass polio immunisation in regions deemed at high risk.

This initiative was particularly crucial after reports of polio cases near the Kenya-Ethiopia border, with a confirmed outbreak of type 2 circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV2) in Ethiopia in October 2024.

WHO also highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation and real-time data tracking in the successful implementation of the campaign, ensuring that children in both Kenya and neighboring regions were immunised. The next vaccination campaign is scheduled for April 2025.

In October 2024, the Government earmarked 3,843,275 million children to be vaccinated against polio in nine high-risk Counties in Kenya.

Ministry of Health and Sanitation in collaboration with UNICEF, WHO, Kenya Red Cross and Rotary Clubs among others has launched polio vaccination in the high-risk counties.

Polio remains a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects children under five years of age, causing paralysis.

The disease spreads through person-to-person contact, contaminated food, or water. Vaccination remains the most effective method of preventing polio.

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