MOH Avails HPV Vaccines in Schools to Boost Uptake

To increase HPV vaccination uptake, the Ministry of Health has embarked on a journey to avail the vaccine in schools.

This initiative is geared towards boosting the uptake of the vaccine which has been slow due to school closures and movement restrictions occasioned by Covid19 pandemic.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, the current uptake of the first dose is at 75 percent due to sustained outreaches in the communities up from 52 percent in 2022.

The uptake of the second dose stands at 42 percent, up from 29 percent in 2022.

To raise awareness and sensitization, the Ministry in collaboration with UNICEF has conducted sensitization of county and subcounty Ministry of Education and TSC officers in 31 targeted counties with the outreaches expected to run till August 11.

They include Kisumu, Siaya, Nyamira, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Vihiga, Kakakmega, Busia, Nakuru, Bomet, Kericho, Laikipia, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet and Trans Nzoia.

Others are Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Kiambu, Mombasa, Tiata Taveta, Lamu, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Nyeri, Nyandarua, Murang’a and Kirinyaga.

The vaccine was introduced in Kenya in 2019 targeting girls between 10 to 14 years of age with an aim of lessening the cervical cancer burden which kills at least 3,500 women annually in Kenya.

The vaccine helps the body fight off infection by the Human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, vulvar, vaginal and penile cancers, as well as genital warts.