Vaccines to Control Antimicrobial Resistance in Kenya: Projections from mathematical models and evidence from clinical studies

Vaccines reduce the spread of drug-resistant infections and antibiotic use.

Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV)

Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV)

  • Typhoid caused 753 deaths and took 56,807 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2023 in Kenya.
  • TCV was rolled out in July 2025 and is now part of the Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunization, targeting children under 15 years of age.
  • The TCV vaccine is predicted to avert 570,000 cases of antimicrobial-resistant typhoid, 4,674 deaths, and 243,000 DALYs.

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)

  • Pneumococcal disease causes 8,000-10,000 deaths in children under 5 years annually in Kenya.
  • PCV is available and part of the Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunization at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age.
  • PCV vaccination is projected to prevent 14,329 deaths and 101,513 cases of pneumococcal disease from 2022–2032.

Tuberculosis Vaccine

Tuberculosis Vaccine

  • Tuberculosis (TB) caused 7,760 deaths in 2023 and cost 359,074 DALYs in 2023
  • TB vaccine for adolescents and adults is not yet available, but evaluation is ongoing.
  • A TB vaccine is predicted to avert 2,100 rifampicin-resistant TB cases and 460 deaths due to rifampicin resistance over 15 years in Kenya.

Malaria Vaccine

Malaria Vaccine

  • Malaria caused 3,238 deaths and cost 261,389 DALYs in 2023 in Kenya.
  • A malaria vaccine is still under evaluation for a nationwide rollout and is now included in routine immunization in malaria-endemic regions.
  • In a prospective evaluation of infants who received the vaccine between 2019 and 2021, there was a 32% reduction in hospital admissions with severe malaria and 9 percent reduction in all cause mortality