Africa-Press – Kenya. The Ministry of Health on Saturday launched the first-ever oral cholera vaccination drive in the counties affected by the disease in the fight against the outbreak.
Health CS Susan Nakhumicha said the vaccine targets 2.2 million people aged one year and above in Nairobi, Wajir, Tana River and Garissa counties. The exercise is done in partnership with Unicef, the World Health Organisation and GAVI.
It was officially launched in Madogo in Tana River county. The vaccination campaign will also include the Dadaab refugee camps that have seen an outbreak of cholera due to congestion leading to overstretching of sanitary facilities.
“As we conduct the exercise, I wish to assure Kenyans the Oral Cholera Vaccine to be used is safe and encourage them to take it,” Wafula said.
“During the exercise, vaccination teams will be moving from house to house and providing the vaccine to those who are eligible.”
The ministry has however cautioned that the vaccine alone will not control the disease hence the need to implement other sustainable prevention and control measures.
These, the CS said, will include the promotion of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene practices that will guarantee communities a supply of water. According to the ministry, 83 patients have succumbed to the cholera outbreak since the first case was reported in the country in October last year.
Wafula said as of Saturday, 15 counties have reported the outbreak with 4,566 patients having been recorded. Cholera infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can be severe.
According to CDC, approximately one in 10 people who get sick with cholera will develop severe symptoms such as watery diarrhoea, vomiting, and leg cramps.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. People can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.
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