The Ministry of Health has assured the public that the polio vaccine being given to children in the country is safe.

The government’s assurance comes at a time when members of the public have raised questions regarding the safety of the vaccination. Acknowledging that there was a misrepresentation in their earlier presser, the ministry, however, has moved to calm the public.

“Following the recent polio campaign, the Ministry of Health would like to clarify some important facts that were misrepresented following yesterday’s (Friday, November 8, 2024) press release. 

“Polio is a highly infectious and debilitating vaccine-preventable viral disease with the potential to cause paralysis and even death in a matter of hours among young children who are not fully vaccinated.

“All vaccines given by the Ministry of Health, including the polio vaccine, are safe and effective in protecting our children against vaccine-preventable diseases,” the Ministry expounded in a statement released on Saturday, November 9, 2024.

The government added that vaccination for polio might trigger some mild reactions, which disappear after some time.

“Vaccines are designed to stimulate an immune response in the body against infectious diseases, and this reaction inevitably carries a small attributable risk to the health of a minority of children.

“While mild side effects may occur, these often resolve quickly. Any concerns to the caregivers are usually reported to the nearest health facility,” it added.

Investigation

It added that the concerns raised were investigated, and it was found out that the reactions following vaccination were coincidental.

“Concerns from parents on the recent polio campaign that took place from October 2nd-6th 2024 were investigated by the Kenya National Vaccine Safety Advisory Committee (KNVSAC), which found out that the reactions were coincidental and resolved over time. Many times, health events happen around the time of vaccination by chance and are not caused by the vaccine itself,” it added.

The Ministry states that jointly with the global community, it has a vision to eradicate Polio, and that can only be done by achieving high vaccination coverage against the disease.

“We continue to urge all parents, guardians, and caregivers to bring their children for routine immunization as per the immunization schedule and to avail their children of the current second round of polio vaccination campaigns taking place from November 9-13, 2024, so that we can eradicate this disease,” it concluded.