By Elizabeth Wasunna, General Manager, AAR Healthcare Kenya
Vaccines are among the most powerful public health tools ever developed. Over the past half-century, they have transformed the course of human life. Fewer children are lost today to preventable illness, fewer outbreaks devastate communities, and fewer hospital systems are pushed to the brink by diseases we already know how to stop.
This year’s theme, “For every generation, vaccines work,” could not be more timely for Kenya and Africa. Immunisation remains one of the most powerful and cost-efficient ways to save lives, prevent outbreaks and strengthen communities, yet continues to be one of the most underused.
Globally, vaccines prevent an estimated 3.5 to 5 million deaths every year. They protect children from diseases that once claimed millions of lives and help shield adolescents, adults, pregnant women and older people from severe illness and disability. Across Africa, however, the immunisation story is still one of unfinished work. According to Africa CDC, DTP3 coverage in Africa stood at 76% in 2024, still far below the 90% target under Immunisation Agenda 2030, while about 7.8 million children in the region missed even the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine. WHO has also warned that one in five children in Africa remains under-immunised, leaving the region exposed to preventable outbreaks such as measles and vaccine-derived polio.
Kenya has made real progress, but it is not yet where it needs to be. WHO and UNICEF estimate Kenya’s DTP3 coverage was 93% in 2023, which is encouraging, but coverage drops for other critical vaccines. For instance, the second dose of the measles-containing vaccine stood at just 76% in 2023, well below the level needed to stop measles outbreaks. Due to the contagious nature of measles, communities generally need around 95% coverage to reliably prevent transmission. That gap should concern all of us. It means too many children remain vulnerable even when national progress looks strong on paper.
Kenya’s recent vaccination efforts demonstrate both the scale of progress made and the challenges that remain, as well as the power of coordinated action. In July 2025, the country carried out a major national campaign that reached over 16 million children across all 47 counties. Of these, 16.1 million children were vaccinated against typhoid, and 5.18 million were vaccinated against measles-rubella. The campaign also identified and vaccinated 74,000 zero-dose children—those with no prior immunisation history. This is both encouraging and sobering: it shows that significant progress is possible, while also highlighting how many children can still be missed when access, trust and awareness break down.
Across Africa, the stakes are even clearer. Between 2000 and 2024, measles vaccination efforts in the region helped avert 19.5 million deaths and protected more than 500 million children through routine immunisation. Those are extraordinary gains. Yet they are fragile. When routine vaccination slips, diseases return quickly. We have already seen this in repeated measles outbreaks across several African countries. Immunisation is not a victory won once. It is a system that must be sustained, community by community, year after year, through consistent and timely action.
This is why trusted healthcare institutions matter so much. In Kenya, the immunisation challenge is no longer just about whether vaccines exist, but, more importantly, whether people can access them easily, receive them on time, and trust the information they are given. Healthcare providers such as AAR Healthcare play a vital role in making prevention part of everyday life through community education, timely reminders, outreach, and clear, empathetic communication that helps families make informed decisions.
The phrase “For every generation” reminds us that immunisation is as much a childhood intervention as it is a strategy to protect health throughout life. It begins with newborns and infants, whose routine vaccines protect them from the diseases most likely to kill early in life. It continues through childhood and adolescence, when missed doses leave gaps that can fuel outbreaks, and it remains relevant for adults, older people, pregnant women and health workers, all of whom face different but very real risks from vaccine-preventable disease.
In reality, vaccines now protect against more than 30 life-threatening diseases, helping people of all ages live longer and healthier lives. In that sense, immunisation is not only a personal health choice but also a shared social responsibility. Protection is only as strong as coverage across the entire population. One missed stage of vaccination, one underserved community, or one breakdown in trust can leave entire groups exposed. It is therefore paramount to normalise vaccination as part of everyday life.
This World Immunisation Week, we in Kenya should not settle for broad support in principle. We must commit to checking children’s vaccination cards, catching up on missed doses, supporting outreach to underserved regions, and strengthening confidence in routine immunisation through accurate, trusted information. Vaccines work. They save lives, reduce suffering, and protect the social fabric of communities. The task now is to make sure they work for everyone.