![Nakuru County CEC for Health Dr.Gichuki Kariuki administers a jab to a 10-year-old girl at Bondeni maternity facility in Nakuru East during the launch of the of the vaccine for Nakuru County in October last year. [Photo/NCPU]](https://famousnakuru.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/HPV-vaccine.jpeg)
Nakuru County Health Department has revealed that 16,385 girls of age 10 in the county have been immunized against Human papillomavirus (HPV) that is greatly attributed to cervical cancer.
This was revealed on Wednesday during a media sensitization workshop organized by KANCO (a leading national health advocacy Network) in partnership with the County Government of Nakuru.
According to statistics, the HPV vaccine that was launched in Nakuru in October last year saw 16,385 immunized under the first jab administration.
However, the second doss administration (April 2020) saw only 3,952 girls of 10 years old turn up for the vaccine.
The department has attributed the low turnout during the second doss administration to lack of proper sensitization of community on the importance of HPV vaccine.
Nakuru County Chief Officer for Public Health Samuel King’ori who spoke during the closure of the Wednesday Media sensitization meeting, reiterated county government’s commitment towards healthcare services.
“As a county we are committed towards improving healthcare sector so that our people can be healthy and productive towards economic growth” said King’ori.
Speaking during her presentation at the workshop, Nakuru County Chief Nursing Officer Ms Virginia Njenga said they are working in tracing all the lot of children to ensure they get the second doss.
She called on media to continue playing their advocacy role in community on matters health services.
During the launch last year, Nakuru County had targeted to reach 43,000 girls of 10 years old.
“We know we did not reach our target but we are doing the tracing so that we reach our girls with the vaccine” she said.
Stephen Ikonya from KANCO (a leading national health advocacy Network) lauding media for the role played in sensitizing the community on HPV vaccine.
He was however quick to appeal to the parents whose 10 year old daughters did not show up for the exercise to ensure they do so to cushion them from cervical cancer.
“We know quite a number of girls here in Nakuru have been reached but a message to the parents who were not reached to make effort” said Ikonya.
The HPV vaccine according to World Health Organization helps prevent over 95% of infections from HPV types 16&18 hence the effectiveness of the vaccine.