Health experts dismiss fears linking HPV vaccine to infertility

At a town hall meeting in Nairobi on Thursday, doctors and subject experts sought to reassure parents that the vaccine, now administered as a single dose, is safe, effective, and critical in the fight against cervical cancer.

Vaccine apathy has contributed to uptake rates of less than 1% in Northern Kenya and the coastal region.

Health professionals are raising the alarm over the low uptake of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, attributing it to misinformation, religious opposition, and deep-seated fears among parents.

At a roundtable meeting organized by the Kenya Paediatric Research Consortium, doctors and healthcare workers defended the country’s shift from a two-dose to a single-dose HPV vaccine schedule, saying the decision is backed by global scientific evidence.

Moses Matole, president of the Kenya Clinical Officers Association, urged, "We urge all parents with girls of that age to visit their nearest facilities and have their daughters vaccinated against cervical cancer."

Dr. Victor Teti of the Kenya Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society said, "There’s a lot of hesitancy about the vaccine and concerns over side effects. I want to make it clear from a professional point of view that this vaccine is 98% effective when given between the ages of 10 and 14 years."

Dr. Nelly Bosire, obstetrician and gynaecologist, added, "We will continue to advocate for primary prevention, which is the vaccine; secondary prevention, which is screening; and tertiary prevention, which is treatment of all those diagnosed as early as possible."

The HPV vaccine targets girls aged 10 to 14 and protects against cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among Kenyan women, claiming 3,500 lives annually. The World Health Organization recognizes that HPV vaccines are highly effective in preventing cervical cancer.

Despite this, uptake remains low, with some parents fearing the vaccine could lead to infertility or future health problems, claims that health experts say are unfounded.

Dr. Bosire noted, "Prevalence of HPV uptake is lowest in the northern and coastal regions, where uptake has been less than 1%. In fact, in Mombasa County, the county immunisation coordinator is very distressed, returning 80% of the vaccines they requisitioned because they are not being taken up."

Experts emphasized that the vaccine has been used worldwide for over a decade, with millions of doses administered safely. The World Health Organization endorsed the single-dose schedule after studies showed it offers the same protection as the two-dose regimen.