HPV VACCINE LAUNCH IN KISUMU, KENYA
By: Sandra Y. Oketch
A great milestone it is in Kenya towards the cervical cancer prevention efforts through the Launch of HPV vaccination into the routine immunization schedule available for all 10 year old girls from September 2019.
The Kisumu County launched the HPV vaccine Program today, 25th October 2019 at the Kisumu County Referral Hospital. The launch was marked with a number of activities from HPV health information, speeches and educational entertainments.
The Chief Guest of honor was the Kisumu County Director of Health Services, Dr. Dickens Onyango and mentioned that the roll out of the vaccine has been successfully cascaded into sub county level and in all Government of Kenya health facilities and that the Ministry of Health will work hand in hand with the Ministry of Education and all other partners in ensuring an effective and efficient implementation of the program. He reiterated that, ‘The HPV vaccine is the silver bullet to prevention of cervical cancer that will greatly reduce the cervical cancer burden as has been in the 115 countries currently offering HPV vaccine. Kenya will now be the 116th country offering HPV vaccine and the Ministry of Health will endeavor to ensure success of the program’.
It was a sensational moment witnessing the first 10 girls receive their first round of HPV vaccine therefore being protected from developing cervical cancer later in life. The HPV vaccine will be administered in 2 doses, 6 months apart and a card will be issued to indicate the next return visit after the first jab is given. The HPV vaccine program will strengthen the prevention efforts and complement the current screening approach through HPV self- sampling.
