KENYA – The Ministry of Health is set to conduct a massive malaria vaccination drive in eight malaria prone counties in the next two weeks.
This is after the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned of a surge in mosquito-borne diseases due to global warming.
The vaccination will be carried out through the National Vaccines and Immunisation Programme in Vihiga, Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Siaya, Migori Homabay and Kisumu counties.
Dr Lucy Mecca, the head of immunisation at the ministry, said the RTS,S vaccine will be given to children between six months and five years.
“Massive vaccination in malaria endemic counties will enhance the fight against the disease,” said Dr Mecca.
RTS,S vaccine triggers the immune system to defend against the first stages when the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite enters the host’s bloodstream through a mosquito bite and infects liver cells.
The jab is administered in four phases-six, seven, nine and 24 months. Trials of the vaccine were conducted in Kenya, alongside Ghana and Malawi.
The vaccine prevents 4 out of 10 malaria infections and prevents severe malaria by more than 30 percent in six to 24 months age group, according to scientific findings. WHO approved use of the vaccine in 2021.
In Kenya, piloting of the vaccine was conducted in the counties of Homa Bay, Kisumu, Migori, Siaya, Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga and Kakamega counties in 2019.
Dr Donald Apat, programme manager for Global Fund Malaria at Amref, said vaccination rollout is meant to scale up the vaccination in all sub-counties within the endemic areas, which were not part of the piloting program.
He said uptake of the vaccine, and adoption of other interventions are likely to prevent malaria, by 80 percent.
Interventions in place include sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying with insecticides (IRS), and appropriate diagnosis and treatment using artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).
The massive vaccination drive is to be launched at a time the country has discovered a new mosquito species that thrives in urban and rural areas.
Meanwhile, WHO has warned that millions of people will be exposed to mosquito borne-diseases because of climate change.
Recently, the Anopheles Stephensi species was discovered in Marsabit County, by scientists from the Kenya Medical and Research Institution (Kemri).
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