NAIROBI, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Health has launched a five-day polio immunization campaign in four northeastern counties, targeting over 800,000 children under 11 years of age.
Mary Muthoni Muriuki, principal secretary in the Ministry of Health, said the campaign, launched on Friday, follows an outbreak of poliovirus in Ethiopia near the border with Kenya in October 2024.
"A subsequent round of polio immunization campaign will take place in April 2025 in these four counties, which have been found to be most at risk for disease transmission," Muriuki told journalists in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
She noted that Kenya has stepped up measures to interrupt transmission of the disease from Ethiopia and Eritrea due to the high cross-border movement of communities in the region.
The official said the children will be given two doses of oral polio vaccine regardless of previous immunization status.
"We want to reassure the public that all vaccines used in the country are safe, effective, and have undergone rigorous testing. Receiving multiple doses of polio vaccine will not harm your child, but will provide additional immunity to your child against the disease," Muriuki said.
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus, which can infect a person's spinal cord, leading to paralysis or even death, according to the health ministry. ■
