Kenyan Travelers to receive Yellow Fever Jabs for Free

Kenyans will now get yellow fever jabs free of charge according to the Ministry of Health.

Health CS, Sicily Kariuki, on May 16^th informed a Health and Security conference in Nairobi that she would ensure that the issuance of a yellow fever card would have zero charges.

“I will make sure issuing a yellow fever card becomes almost zero in terms of cost and remove the incentives that have been put by people who have found this a place to make money,” the health CS said.

Yellow fever vaccines are availed in Kenya at a cost of 1,500 shillings in ports of entry, public health units and a number of selected clinics in Nairobi and Kisumu.

“We have had infiltration by crooks issuing yellow fever vaccine certificates pretending it is all fine and we have fallen short of the global report because we want to take shortcuts, go to River Road, get a quick yellow fever card and stamp then get away with it,” said the CS.

Sicily Kariuki was referring to incidences in early 2018 when rogue health officers were injecting travelers with IV fluid or water to con them in the name of vaccination.

A yellow fever vaccine is mandatory during transit travel as the fever spreads fast. People traveling from yellow fever endemic countries are taken through vaccination to allow travel in a way to prevent the fever from spreading to other countries. The vaccination is administered 10 days before one’s arrival to their destination.

Yellow fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, has symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, jaundice, nausea, vomiting, and general fatigue.

Proof of vaccination against yellow fever is one of the requirements for one to acquire a visa in Kenya especially if the person/people traveling have been to yellow fever endemic areas.

“It is for this reason that soon I will be gazetting the new guidelines for yellow fever card issuance and signage after inspection of the facilities that would be allowed to issue yellow fever cards,” CS Kariuki revealed.

CS Kariuki also insisted on the need for the public to be aware of the consequences of taking shortcuts which end up in injection of the wrong product in a bid to spare money.

Travelers were challenged to reconsider the exposure they bring to themselves and others when they take the shortcuts instead of seeking the yellow fever jab from the designated and licensed facilities.