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The Ministry of Health has rolled out malaria vaccination in 25 more sub-counties in the lake endemic-region.
The expansion of the vaccination programme is meant to protect more children against malaria.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2021 recommended widespread use of RTS, S malaria vaccine among children in Sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high malaria transmission.
The malaria vaccine is given simultaneously with other childhood vaccines in four doses, where the last dose is given when a child is two years.
Close to 400,000 children in Kenya have already received the RTS, S malaria vaccine in 26 sub-counties in eight counties since 2019. These counties include Kisumu, Kakamega, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Bungoma and Vihiga. The vaccine is being rolled out in the remaining sub-counties in the same counties.
Overall, more than 1.2 million children have been vaccinated with RTS, S vaccine in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi since 2019
"What we are doing is not a campaign, but we are adding the malaria vaccine to routine vaccination for children," said WHO country representative Abdourahmane Diallo.
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When the vaccine is implemented together with other recommended malaria interventions it has been shown to reduce the number of children that become sick with malaria, the number of children needing to be hospitalised with malaria, the number of children requiring blood transfusion for malaria and the number of children who die from malaria.
"Kenya 2020 malaria indicator survey showed a reduced malaria prevalence over the past 10 years with prevalence dropping from 10 per cent in 2010 to 6 per cent in 2020," says Dr Andrew Mulwa, Director of preventive and promotive health at the Ministry of Health "The lake endemic region has seen a drop of malaria cases from 27per cent in 2015 to 19 per cent in 2020, this shows that our efforts in malaria control are bearing fruit," added Dr Mulwa
Just like other childhood interventions, the malaria vaccine is also facing challenges, especially the uptake of the fourth dose. Uptake in the first year is said to be good.
"The expansion is targeting 133,000 infants annually, we are focusing on the endemic counties only due to tight resources, so this will ensure that the investment we make gets optimal results. If we had the money, we would have no problem rolling this vaccine in all 47 counties," said Dr Mulwa.
The discovery of a new lethal mosquito species in Kenya, Anopheles stephensi, has raised concerns that the progress made in malaria prevention could go to waste. This vector is said to be more lethal and has the potential of increasing malaria cases by 50 per cent.
In 2021, more than half a million children died from malaria in Africa. This is equal to one child dying of malaria every minute.
"Even one of these deaths is too many. Now more children in Africa will have access to this lifesaving tool," says Scott Gordon, the director of the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme for PATH
The vaccine does not replace other malaria control measures like insecticide-treated mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying and prompt diagnosis and treatment.
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