CS Duale Launches Nationwide Measles-Rubella and Typhoid Vaccine Campaign to Strengthen Child Immunization
𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢, 𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 – Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale, EGH, officially launched the Integrated Measles-Rubella and Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine Campaign at Githogoro Grounds in Westlands, Nairobi. The life-saving initiative aims to boost child immunization coverage and curb the burden of preventable diseases across Kenya.
Speaking at the event, CS Duale reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the health of children and communities, calling on parents, caregivers, teachers, and religious leaders to support the nationwide vaccination drive. He emphasized that the vaccines are safe, effective, and free of charge at all public health facilities and outreach sites.
The campaign, which runs from 1st to
, targets children aged 9 months to 59 months for the Measles-Rubella vaccine and children aged 9 months to 14 years for the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV). The CS described the initiative as a critical step toward ending preventable child deaths and achieving universal immunization coverage.
“Typhoid fever continues to affect thousands of Kenyan families, particularly in informal settlements and rural areas with poor access to clean water and sanitation,” he said. “With drug-resistant strains on the rise, the disease has become harder and more expensive to treat — and our children are the most affected.”
CS Duale explained that the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine offers strong protection for at least four years with just one dose and has now been introduced into the national routine immunization schedule at 9 months of age. He also raised alarm over low uptake of the second dose of the Measles-Rubella vaccine, noting that between and , Kenya recorded nearly 3,000 measles cases and 18 deaths.
“This campaign is our opportunity to close that gap and reach the last child, in the last mile,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary noted that the campaign is part of Kenya’s Big Catch-Up — a national effort to vaccinate children who missed out during the COVID-19 pandemic and restore confidence in primary health services. He added that immunization is central to the government’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
Underscoring the government’s focus on health system quality, Hon. Duale said the Ministry is advancing the Quality of Healthcare Bill to ensure all health services delivered to Kenyans meet clear standards of safety, equity, and accountability.
CS Duale also took the opportunity to thank healthcare workers, whom he described as the backbone of Kenya’s health system, and expressed gratitude to development partners including WHO, UNICEF, PATH Kenya, Clinton Health Access Initiative, and Gavi for their continued support in logistics, cold chain, and capacity building.
He urged the media to help amplify accurate information about vaccines and counter misinformation, stressing that immunization is not just a public health tool, but an investment in the nation’s future.
Present at the launch were Principal Secretaries Dr. Ouma Oluga (Medical Services) and Mary Muthoni (Public Health), Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, Westlands MP Hon. Tim Wanyonyi, Nairobi County CEC for Health Ms. Suzanne Silantoi, senior Ministry of Health officials, and representatives from WHO, UNICEF, PATH Kenya, and Gavi.