Nairobi News

The Ministry of Health launched the first-ever oral cholera vaccination campaign targeting the most affected sub-counties in four counties.

The oral cholera vaccination campaign targets 2.2 million Kenyans aged one year and above.

The vaccination will be implemented in the most affected sub-counties of Nairobi, Wajir, Tana River and Garissa Counties, including the Dadaab refugee camp.

“As we conduct the exercise, I wish to assure Kenyans the oral cholera vaccine to be used is safe and encourage them take it. During the exercise, vaccination teams will be moving from house to house and providing the vaccine to those who are eligible,” Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said.

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While launching the vaccination campaign in Madogo, Tana River County, the Ministry of Health praised counties that successfully controlled the outbreak.

The Ministry of Health further said some of the risk factors causing cholera include outsourcing of food from food vendors with questionable hygiene standards, congestion in the refugee camps and sourcing of water from contaminated sources.

The Ministry has further called on all the counties to maintain heightened surveillance in all public and private health facilities, and at the community level, provision of cholera supplies to assist in the management of patients, provision of Water and Sanitation (WASH) Supplies to help in the purification of water sources and household water treatment..

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This comes even as the country controls a cholera outbreak that has seen at least 83 people die and 4,666 cases reported in 15 counties.

The outbreak was reported in Kenya in October 2022, the first cases being reported after a wedding in Kiambu County.

Cholera is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that results in severe watery diarrhea and vomiting. The condition can result in a severe loss of body fluids within hours and even death if left untreated.

However, it should be noted that this disease is preventable and may not result in death if detected and treated early.

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