Kenya: Govt Eyes HPV Vaccination for Boys Amid Low Second-Dose Uptake Among Girls

What the report says

Kenya’s government is weighing whether to expand its HPV vaccination programme to boys, according to Capital FM’s report distributed by AllAfrica. Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga said the idea could form part of a longer-term strategy to reduce HPV-related illness, while the current campaign remains aimed at girls.

The discussion comes as officials try to improve vaccine completion rates. The latest Kenya Mini Demographic and Health Survey cited in the report found that 59% of girls had received at least one HPV dose, up from 30% in 2022, but only 20% had received the recommended second dose. That gap has raised concerns about follow-up, public awareness and access to vaccination services.

Oluga also pointed to Kenya’s cervical cancer burden, saying the disease affects about 7,000 women each year. Cervical cancer is strongly linked to persistent infection with high-risk types of HPV. Public health background on HPV, while not unique to Kenya, is that vaccinating before exposure offers the strongest protection and can also help reduce transmission more broadly.

The report says the government has not announced a timeline for any change, so extending vaccination to boys appears to be a possible future policy direction rather than an immediate rollout.