Migori County health practitioners have witnessed an improvement in the number of vaccinated girls aged 10 to 14 years against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) .
Speaking at his office, Dr. Paul Olik, the lead doctor for non-communicable diseases at Migori Referral Hospital, said that they have been able to vaccinate 45,000 girls, which is above 50 per cent of their target this year.
“Our target for this financial year was to vaccinate 91,000 girls in Migori. We are elated to have vaccinated 45,000, which is above 50 per cent, and are working to achieve our target in the next three months to vaccinate about 20,000 girls to reach above 70 per cent to near our target,” said Olik.
He added that the government introduced the HPV vaccine, which was two doses for a child aged nine years, but when they realised the uptake was not good, they then opted for one dose for a child aged between ten and 14.
Olik explained that the reason why they consider these ages is because the girls aged 10 to 14 have not begun engaging in sexual activities.
The medic noted that the vaccine is generally a preventive measure used to deter a patient from a full-blown cervical cancer stage.
He disclosed that the majority of individuals did not welcome the uptake of HPV vaccination at first because of the myths and misconceptions that surrounded the vaccine, but through sensitisation, most parents and teachers have welcomed the move to allow their children to be vaccinated.
Olik also added that the HPV virus generally affects both men and women, and it is sexually transmitted, especially to those who have multiple partners.
The official also noted that HPV is a major leading cause of cervical cancer and urged residents of Migori to develop a testing culture so that the diseases can be diagnosed at an early stage.
The medic called upon the residents of Migori to visit the County Referral Hospital facility, which is well equipped with trained specialists.
By Beryl Akinyi and Makokha Khaoya
