The Government has confirmed that 12 counties have completely run out of stocks of essential childhood vaccines.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health, national stocks of BCG and Polio vaccines are down to just two weeks’ supply, while the RotaVirus vaccine is expected to last only one month if no new shipments arrive.

“We are aware of the current constraints and are working closely with County Governments to redistribute existing stocks to ensure equitable access,” the Ministry said.

According to the principal Secretary in the Ministry Ouma Oluga the shortage is largely driven by global vaccine supply bottlenecks, which have affected several low- and middle-income countries, including Kenya.

The situation is most dire in the 12 counties where vaccine stocks have already been depleted. While the Ministry has not named the affected counties, the supply gap threatens to disrupt routine immunization services, particularly for infants and young children.

Healthcare facilities in many regions are now relying on emergency stock transfers from neighboring counties to continue vaccinating newborns and young children.

In a bid to ease the crisis, the Ministry of Health announced that: 3.2 million doses of the Polio vaccine are currently being cleared at the Port of Mombasa and are scheduled for nationwide distribution by June 10 and another 3.0 million doses of the BCG vaccine are expected to arrive and be distributed by June 15.

In the long term, the government plans to establish Strategic Vaccine Reserves in all 47 counties, which will be sustainably financed to prevent future shortages.

Despite the current shortfall, the Ministry reassured the public that no child will miss vaccination thanks to the Zero-Dose Catch-Up Mechanism, a programme operating under the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

“We remain committed to protecting every child from vaccine-preventable diseases,”Oluga said