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The Government has allayed fears among Kenyans that the vaccine against cervical cancer to be administered on school girls is unsafe.
The plan, which targets schoolgirls aged between 12 and 14, was announced by Director of Medical Services Dr Nicholas Muraguri (pictured) on the sidelines of the just concluded Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer in Africa Conference in Nairobi.
Yesterday, Dr Muraguri termed the fears as misplaced and fed by lack of awareness about cervical cancer and its vaccine.
"The vaccination is critical in the fight against cervical cancer, which is one of the top three cancers in Kenya. The vaccine will protect our girls from the disease.
"All across the world, girls are being vaccinated against cervical cancer to protect them before they begin engaging in sexual activity," he said.
The exercise may be unveiled starting January next year if the plan sails through.
SEXUAL ACTIVITY
"We would have preferred to vaccinate all Kenyans at risk, including boys, but we do not have the resources to do it. So we focus only on schoolgirls before they begin sexual activity," he said.
Dr Ahmed Kalebi, a consultant pathologist and honorary lecturer at the University of Nairobi, said the vaccine targets the most common and deadly strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) that are known to be responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.
Dr Kalebi, also group chief executive officer of Pathologists Lancet Kenya, the largest network of private medical laboratories in Kenya that test various types of cancers and infections, explained that the jab offers protection for a number of years.
"Most sexually active people will get the virus at some time in their lives because it is quite common, but those who have it may show no symptoms. The virus often goes away on its own as the body gets rid of it naturally. But some types of viruses can persist in certain individuals and cause cervical cancer if not detected and treated early.
"The vaccine prevents the high-risk strains of the virus infecting the vaccinated person even when they get exposed to it afterwards. Thus for young girls who are not yet sexually active, it provides protection against the virus should they get exposed to it when they become sexually active," he explained.
Dr Kalebi said Kenyans who are already sexually active can take a test for the HPV virus to confirm if they are already infected.
If negative they can have the vaccine, while if positive they can go for further screening for cervical cancer.
Currently, the vaccine is available in private hospitals at Sh10,000 for three doses. The doses are delivered at intervals of six months.
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