Kenya becomes 3rd country in Africa to adopt malaria vaccine

Health CS Sicily Kariuki will on Friday launch the new malaria vaccine in Homa Bay County.

According to the ministry of Health, the vaccine will be rolled out in eight counties: Homa Bay  Kisumu, Migori, Siaya, Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga and Kakamega.

Kenya becomes the third country in Africa after Ghana and Malawi to launch this vaccine.

According to the ministry of Heath, the vaccine will be added to the immunisation schedule for Kenyan children.

More than 300,000 children are expected to be vaccinated in the next three years.

It will be given to children aged six, seven, nine and 24 months.

“To get proper protection, a child must get all the four vaccine doses and continue sleeping under a mosquito net every night,” the ministry said.

According to Reuters, malaria infected about 219 million people two years ago, leaving 435,000 dead; a majority were children.