Mass vaccination targeting over 250,000 animals kicks off in Garissa

A mass livestock vaccination exercise has kicked off in Garissa County targeting to vaccinate over 250,000 animals.

Garissa County Chief Executive Committee member in charge of Livestock Mohamed Shale said over 150,000 goat and sheep will be vaccinated against contagious Caprine Pleuromonia.

The one-month mass vaccination exercise targets to have over 100,000 cattle vaccinated against Lampy Skin Disease and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia.

Garissa County Chief Executive Committee member in charge of Livestock Mohamed Shale says they also plan to deworm the animals and control pests and ticks.

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“Although the exercise has been planned for a month, we want to end it a soon as possible in order to cushion our livestock farmers against the devastating effects of this disease outbreak,” he said.

“Once the teams conclude their exercise in their respective zones, it is our hope that they are going to reach more numbers in the neighbouring wards. This first round will cover 16 wards and in the second round we will cover the remaining,” he added.

Shale said the vaccination was occasioned by last year’s heavy rains that caused flooding which makes the animals vulnerable to several diseases.  He said the exercise will be majorly confined to six wards of the 6 sub-counties of Lagdera, Dadaab, Balambala, Fafi, Holugho and Ijara.

The exercise is being done in collaboration with the National drought management Authority, save the children, Kenya resilient project, Kenya market system and the Kenya climate-smart agriculture project.

The Kenya livestock marketing council chairman Dubat Amey said the county’s move will go a long way to ensuring that livestock in the area is disease-free.

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