Kisumu County has begun a major immunisation campaign targeting over 459,000 children in a bid to curb typhoid fever—one of its most stubborn and deadly public health challenges.
The rollout of the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV), launched at Nyalenda Health and Wellness Centre, marks the first time the vaccine is being offered in Kisumu.
The rollout, which is part of a nationwide campaign running from July 5 to 14, targets children aged 9 months to 14 years across Kisumu County.
Health officials say the urgency is driven by the county’s alarming burden of typhoid fever, with an estimated 12,900 infections annually, the majority of whom are children under the age of 15.
“This campaign is not just another routine exercise—it is a lifeline,” said County Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo, who presided over the launch at the Nyalenda Health and Wellness Centre.
“More than 60 percent of typhoid deaths in Kenya occur in children. In Kisumu alone, we estimate that thousands of children are affected every year, and many more go untested. No child should suffer from a disease we can now prevent,” he said.
Leparmorijo urged parents, religious leaders, teachers, Nyumba Kumi officials, and all grassroots leaders to ensure no eligible child is left behind. “Mobilise every household. Let our communities hear this: take your child for vaccination between July 5 and 14. This vaccine is safe, free, and potentially life-saving,” he said.
The Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine, now endorsed by the World Health Organisation, is being introduced into Kenya’s routine immunisation schedule following its successful deployment in high-burden countries.
In Kisumu, it is being offered alongside the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine, which targets an additional 159,000 children aged 9 to 59 months.
Kisumu County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation Dr. Gregory Ganda said the new vaccine was a major milestone in disease prevention.
“Over 12,000 people in Kisumu had typhoid last year, most of them children,” Dr. Ganda revealed. “But the real figure could be higher. Many facilities rely on strip tests, which are prone to false positives or negatives. Culture testing, which is more accurate, isn’t widely available. That’s why prevention through vaccination is now our best weapon.”
Dr. Ganda asked parents with children within the specified age bracket to take their children for the two vaccines to ensure they develop lasting immunity.
Florence Akech, Kisumu County’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Coordinator, said 156 vaccination sites have been set up across all eight sub-counties, supported by mobile teams reaching schools, markets, churches, and even funerals.
“Children under 15 are the most affected by typhoid. Of those who’ve died from it, 63 per cent were children. That’s why this vaccine is a game-changer. We’re starting with a mass campaign, but after this, it becomes part of the routine immunisation schedule at 9 months of age,” she said.
Akech noted that community health volunteers have been deployed to conduct door-to-door awareness to ensure that all eligible children are reached.
“They have been trained to answer questions and direct families to the nearest facility or outreach point. This campaign is not just clinical—it’s deeply rooted in community engagement,” she said.
She added that the campaign also aims to reverse the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted routine immunisation across the country and left thousands of children without protection from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Backed by development partners including WHO, UNICEF, Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance, PATH, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the Kenya Red Cross Society, the campaign represents one of the most ambitious public health pushes in recent years.
At the Nyalenda Health and Wellness Centre, the first child to be vaccinated was the daughter of a nurse who works at the facility—publicly inoculated in the presence of national and county leaders to demonstrate trust in the vaccine’s safety.
By Chris Mahandara
