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'vaccination drive'

Kenya to launch monkeypox vaccination drive as cases rise

SUMMARY

Kenya will launch a mass vaccination campaign next week to combat a rise in mpox cases. The program will target frontline health workers and individuals with compromised immune systems in Mombasa, Busia, and Nakuru counties. Since July 2022, the new variant Clade 1b has caused 370 reported cases in Kenya, with 157 in the past six weeks and seven deaths.

Health officials are concerned about the rapid spread, similar to outbreaks in Sierra Leone and the DRC. Over 10,700 doses of a new mpox vaccine have been delivered to Kenya. Transmission has been linked to lorry drivers and sex workers along major roads. Surveillance remains a critical part of the response as symptoms can escalate, particularly in those with weakened immune systems. There is no specific antiviral treatment for mpox.


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