Over 300,000 children vaccinated against polio in Garissa County
The five-day campaign was launched following the detection of new polio cases along the Kenya–Ethiopia border.
Over 300,000 children under the age of five have been vaccinated against polio across seven sub-counties, including refugee camps in Garissa County.
The five-day campaign was launched following the detection of new polio cases along the Kenya–Ethiopia border.
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Garissa County Health Promotion Coordinator, Salan Gudle, said the vaccination exercise, which ran from April 12 to 16, surpassed its initial target of 317,000 children.
In an interview with Eastleigh Voice, Salan explained that the team conducting the exercise faced challenges due to the migration of pastoralist communities, driven by heavy rains experienced over the past two weeks.
“We had to deploy a mobile team to follow the communities along their migration routes. Some were reached as they moved in search of water and green pastures, while others who had crossed towards the Somalia border received polio vaccines in collaboration with a health team from neighbouring Somalia,” he said.
He noted that the campaign, prompted by newly reported cases at the Kenya–Ethiopia border, aimed to reduce infections, interrupt transmission, and curb the spread of the virus.
He also emphasised the critical role played by religious leaders, community elders, and chiefs in mobilising public awareness, which helped the campaign exceed its vaccination target.
“We celebrate these achievements, made possible through the concerted efforts of various stakeholders who worked tirelessly alongside the health team,” he added.
Addressing instances of vaccine refusal, Salan said that County Polio Champions were activated to engage with communities and share personal experiences of polio-related disability.
Okan Abdi Guhad, a County Polio Champion, described the active role she played in convincing community members who were hesitant to vaccinate their children.
“It was an exhausting five days, going from one homestead to another to persuade parents who held misconceptions about the polio vaccine,” she said.
As a polio survivor herself, Okan said she spoke to many families about the consequences of the disease, urging them to protect their children from ending up in wheelchairs due to misinformation.
She added that some community members were suspicious about why the polio campaign was focused only on counties like Wajir, Mandera, and Marsabit.
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