Catholic doctors oppose Cervical Cancer vaccine for 10-year-old girls to be released in July

The Kenya Catholic Doctors Association (KCDA) has come out to oppose a Sh475 million cervical cancer vaccine set to be administered to primary school girls in July.

The vaccine is set to be rolled out by the Ministry of Health where all girls aged 10 and older will access the drug for free.

KCDA explains that the targeted group of children are not sexually active, which is the primary way through which the cervical cancer-causing virus is spread.

A past anti-abortion march sponsored by the catholic church. Catholic doctors oppose cervical cancer vaccine to be given to 10-year-old Kenyan girls starting July Pulse Live Kenya

"HPV [Human Papillomavirus] is a sexually transmitted infection and diseases and therefore children who are chaste and faithful adults are not at risk," the doctors argued.

The doctors further argued that up to 90% of HPV infections are fought off by the body naturally.

Ministry of Education notified of cervical cancer vaccine for girls aged 10 and above

A letter from Health PS Susan Mochache to Education PS Belio Kipsang explains that the girls will receive two doses of the vaccine administered by injection on the upper arm.

"To reduce the burden due to cervical cancer in the country, the Ministry of Health plans to introduce HPV vaccine into routine immunization schedule 2019 targeting girls aged 10 years," the letter reads in part.

Health PS Susan Mochache. Catholic doctors oppose cervical cancer vaccine approved by Ministry of Health to be given to 10-year-old Kenyan girls starting July Pulse Live Kenya

KCDA has insisted that the only proven, safe, affordable and effective way to prevent and control the prevalence of cervical cancer is through chastity.

Statistics show that cervical cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer among Kenyan women at 15.7% with breast cancer coming in at a close second place with 12.2% occurrences.

The Ministry of Health, however, still insists that about two-thirds of cervical cancer cases can be avoided if the vaccine is administered to 90% of the female population in Kenya at risk of contracting the HPV virus.