15 Feb Life-saving vaccine rolled out in Kenya
Sarah Bosley’s Global Health Blog – The Guardian
Congratulations to Kenya and to Gavi, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations, and to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on the official launch in Africa today of its vaccine against pneumococcal disease. There is every likelihood that the vaccine will save thousands of childrens’ lives in Kenya. Pneumonia is responsible for 18% of child deaths in developing countries, killing half a million children before their fifth birthday.
Gavi now hopes to roll out a pneumococcal immunisation programme in every eligible developing country (four are currently excluded, including Nigeria, because they do not manage to deliver the basic immunisation to 50% of babies). It has taken a huge effort and a great deal of money – and promises of more money – to get to this point.