NAIROBI, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has vaccinated some 21.3 million children against typhoid and measles in its latest campaign against the two infectious diseases, the biggest vaccination drive in the East African nation's history, a government official has said.
Aden Duale, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, said in a statement released on Tuesday evening in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that 16.1 million children received typhoid conjugate vaccine, and 5.18 million children were vaccinated against measles and rubella.
"Over 74,000 zero-dose children who had never received routine immunization were identified and vaccinated, a remarkable milestone in our efforts not to leave anyone behind," Duale said.
He said that the typhoid vaccine has achieved 84 percent national coverage while the measles vaccine reached 81 percent.
The typhoid vaccine has now been incorporated in Kenya's national vaccination drive to fight drug-resistant forms of the disease, the Ministry of Health said.
According to the World Health Organization, typhoid fever is caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi, which spreads through contaminated food and water, while measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children worldwide. ■