Mpox vaccination planned in 13 high-risk counties
A Congolese health official October 5, 2024 administers an mpox vaccination in efforts to contain an outbreak in the DRC. Kenya will soon launch its first Mpox vaccination campaign.
Kenya will soon launch its first Mpox vaccination campaign in 13 counties to prevent transmission of the virus.
This follows the arrival of 10,700 doses of the Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccine, a collaboration between the Government of Kenya and international partners including the World Health Organization, Unicef, GAVI - the Vaccine Alliance and the CDC in Africa.
The 13 counties selected for the initial roll-out include Busia, Mombasa, Nakuru, Makueni, Bungoma, Nairobi, Kajiado, Taita Taveta, Kericho, Kilifi, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu and Migori.
The vaccine, which has been shown to be up to 82 percent effective in reducing disease severity, transmission and mortality, will be administered in a phased approach, focusing on those at highest risk, including people who have had close physical contact with confirmed cases, populations at increased risk such as long-distance truck drivers and sex workers, and healthcare workers who provide direct care to Mpox patients.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale, said the roll-out, which will begin in the coming months, is an important milestone and will serve as an additional public health measure to complement a comprehensive response to the Mpox outbreak that includes other interventions.
"The Mpox vaccination campaign will not target the general population, but will prioritise high-risk groups, starting with the 13 counties currently reporting confirmed cases. The roll-out will not be nationwide at this stage, but will focus on the affected counties, with adjustments made as the situation evolves. This vaccine is not a silver bullet, but one of several public health measures being used as part of a comprehensive response to the outbreak. It complements our broader efforts to contain and manage Mpox in Kenya," said CS Duale.
As of April 2025, Kenya has reported 68 confirmed cases of Mpox, more than double the 32 cases reported on December 31, 2024. Of the 68 patients, 49 have recovered, 10 are currently in hospital and seven are receiving home care. There has been one death from Mpox, giving a case fatality rate of 1.5 percent.
In addition to vaccination and screening efforts, the Ministry of Health is conducting laboratory tests to identify and isolate new cases. The National Public Health Laboratory has processed 485 samples from suspected cases of which 68 were positive, giving a positivity rate of 13.8 percent, while 414 samples were negative.
Contact tracing is ongoing and 327 people have been identified as contacts of confirmed cases. Of these, 274 have completed the mandatory 21-day surveillance period, 13 have tested positive and 40 remain under surveillance.
Mpox was first confirmed in Kenya in 2023, with sporadic cases occurring throughout the year. However, the situation has deteriorated in recent months, requiring a more urgent and coordinated response.
To prevent the virus from spreading, the Ministry of Health has stepped up surveillance and screening, particularly at border points. To date, more than 4.1 million travellers have been screened at 26 official entry points.
