Kenya is set to begin mpox vaccination drive in December 2024 to combat the spread of the new strain of the virus.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that vaccinations for high-risk populations will start as soon as country receives an enough supply of the vaccine from the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

Kenya will become the fourth African country to vaccinate its population against mpox, following the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Nigeria. 

The Ministry of Health has announced that plans are underway to secure the necessary doses and vaccinate high-risk groups by December 2024 to help curb the virus's spread.

Dr. Sultani Matendechero, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health, stated, “We are expecting to receive the vaccines by the end of the year. We are working to submit requests to the Africa CDC so that we can deploy them to those at risk.”

The Africa CDC, which currently has only 5.6 million doses of the mpox vaccine, emphasized the importance of the vaccination exercise as a response mechanism due to the recent surge in mpox cases across Africa. Kenya is also exploring independent options for acquiring additional vaccines.

“We are mobilizing member states to achieve the goal of vaccinating all vulnerable groups across Africa,” said an Africa CDC representative.

Dr. Matendechero added that the Ministry of Health is looking into alternative methods for procuring vaccines outside the regional approach to expand access.

In addition to vaccination plans, the Ministry has enhanced surveillance at borders, screening at least 1.5 million travelers across various entry points. 

Mary Muthoni, Principal Secretary for Public Health, warned, “We are not out of the woods. We must remain vigilant, especially in high-risk counties such as Taita Taveta, Busia, and Mombasa, where we have deployed teams to ensure adequate monitoring.”

Since mid-October, there have been no new reported cases of mpox in Kenya following the country’s first mpox-related death. In total, 13 cases have been confirmed across various counties.