The planned Human Papilloma vaccination (HPV) for all girls aged 10 years is a preventive measure against cervical cancer.
Uasin Gishu county executive (CEC) for health Evelyn Rotich said the vaccination campaign will be rolled out in all the 126 public health facilities and faith-based organizations health facilities at the end of this month.
Due to logistical challenges, only girls aged 10 years will receive the jab and not 10 to 14 years as earlier envisaged.
The CEC assured parents and other stakeholders that the HPV vaccine had been tested and proven safe to be administered on the children as has been done in other parts of the world.
Speaking on Wednesday during a stakeholder’s planning meeting in Eldoret, Ms. Rotich called on all parents and the residents of the county to embrace the vaccination to ensure smooth implementation adding that parents, religious and political leaders as well as cultural community leaders will be fully involved in the campaign for good flow and acceptance.
She further said that the vaccination will be offered free of charge in all public health facilities as well as FBO that will be supplied with the antigen.
Girls in the age bracket were targeted for the vaccination on the assumption that they have not been exposed to the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that is the primary cause of 99.7% of all cervical cancer.
The cohort was also targeted because of the shortage of the HPV vaccine that is in high demand internationally.
Participants during the meeting were informed that cervical cancer had become a major public health concern considering that it was the second most common cancer in women.
During her presentation, the county chief nursing officer Esther Serem said the 10-year-old girls will receive two doses of the vaccine six months apart.
Statistics indicate that in 2018, 3000 women died from cervical cancer translating to seven women dying from the scourge daily.