Measles outbreak in Mombasa: Health officials launch vaccination campaign
The Mombasa County government has declared a measles outbreak following 34 reported cases in the Mvita and Likoni sub-counties.
According to the Department of Health Vaccines in Mombasa, 23 samples from Mvita and 11 samples from Likoni were confirmed positive for measles after being sent to Nairobi for testing.
“We conducted mass vaccination for 700 children two weeks ago, and we are currently carrying out a mop-up vaccination campaign in the Likoni area,” the head of Vaccine Remuneration in the Department of Health in Mombasa, Isaac Jiwa said.
The cases have prompted the launch of a vaccination campaign.
On October 4, 2022, there was a measles and mumps outbreak in the same county.
Measles, as described by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a highly contagious and serious viral disease that can lead to rapid deaths.
Despite the availability of a safe and cost-effective vaccine, an estimated 128,000 people, mostly children under the age of five, died from measles in 2021.
Measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and is typically transmitted through direct contact and the air. The virus initially infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body, causing severe illness, complications, and, in some cases, death.