Primary schoolgirls to get free STD vaccine in Sh3bn plan
Health secretary James Machari. 'If the state has not failed in its role to provide access to basic and affordable services such as health, education, housing, water and food, why is it that a section of the society is constantly on the receiving end of “charitable acts” from others?' FILE PHOTO |
What you need to know:
The HPV jab together with injectable vaccines for polio and a different strain of measles are currently offered in private hospitals at a cost ranging from Sh3, 000 to Sh12, 000 each.
The vaccine being piloted in Kitui is being offered to girls in Class Four, who are normally between the ages of nine and 10.
A free vaccine ultimately meant to ward off cervical cancer will be introduced in the State-funded immunisation plan in the year starting July, targeting primary schools girls.
The jab together with injectable vaccines for polio and a different strain of measles will be added onto the 11 free vaccines currently included in the immunisation plan, increasing the immunisation budget more than ten-fold to Sh3 billion.
The three vaccines are currently offered in private hospitals at a cost ranging from Sh3, 000 to Sh12, 000 each.
The immunisation budget will increase from the current Sh265.2 million as the government turns to prevention in the fight against diseases with the aim of reducing congestion in public hospitals.
Health secretary James Macharia said the immunisation war chest is aimed at addressing gaps and rolling out new vaccines in the country.
“We are investing heavily in immunisation since we know it’s the most effective way to manage diseases,” Mr Macharia said.
The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine will offer protection against cervical cancer, a leading cause of deaths among women in Kenya. The vaccine being piloted in Kitui is being offered to girls in Class Four, who are normally between the ages of nine and 10.
The injectable polio vaccine, widely used in the developed world, is considered more effective in preventing polio paralysis than the conventional oral vaccine used in Kenya and most African countries. The new free vaccines also include a more advanced anti-measles injection dubbed Rubella.
It offers protection against a type of measles known as Rubella (or German measles) which is fatal and affects pregnant women who ultimately transmit it to unborn children, causing deafness, blindness and breathing problems.
The measles vaccine currently given to babies in public hospitals does not protect them from this type of measles.
Mr Macharia said the increased spending on immunisation also seeks to boost coverage of vaccination services across the country.
The recently released 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey shows that only 71 per cent of children have received all basic vaccinations. This is a drop from 77 per cent in 2008.
The 2014 report attributes the poor coverage to regional disparities, with counties in the northern region reporting lower figures.
For instance, vaccination coverage stands at 28 per cent in Mandera and 94 per cent in Nandi.
“We now want to focus on bridging these wide gaps to make vaccinations available to all those that need them,” said Mr Macharia.
The current portfolio of infant vaccines cover diseases such as tuberculosis, polio, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B, pneumonia, measles and rotavirus diarrhoea.
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