• Mombasa Catholic Archbishop Martin Kivuva, however, said they support the vaccinate as it had been tested and proved to be safe.
• What the church was against, he said, was use of vaccines that are not tested, the bishop said.
Image: PSCU
President Uhuru Kenyatta has told religious leaders not to politicise the HPV vaccination and instead embrace it.
The HPV vaccine, launched yesterday, will be given to 10-year-old girls to prevent cervical cancer.
The vaccination was initially opposed by the Catholic Church, who said it would negatively affect the targeted group.
Speaking during the launch at Ziwani Primary School in Mombasa on Friday, the President told the religious leaders that cancer does not discriminate according to religion.
He urged them to be united to protect the young girls.
"Let us not fight science, let us work together, let us ask questions from an intellectual point of view,” the President said.
Mombasa Catholic Archbishop Martin Kivuva, however, said they support the vaccine as it had been tested and proven to be safe.
“We have agreed it will help, it is clear that cancer has been a big challenge in our country,” Kivuva said.
What the church was against, he said, was the use of vaccines that are not tested.
"There are people who are bringing in vaccinations in our country which are against our health standards, some which have been banned in some countries and we are used as Guinea pigs," he said.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho said his mother succumbed to cancer and he would support the vaccination.
"I lost my mother to cancer, and I can tell you I will support any initiative at any level to ensure that we are safe going forward as a people,” he said.
He said everything has side effects but one has to weigh the advantage and disadvantages of something.
He said Mombasa county supports the vaccination and residents would be sensitised to embrace it.
"We have been convinced that this vaccine is important to the kids. We as parents have come out and we have agreed that it will be helpful to our children," said Angela Auma, a parent who also urged others to have their children vaccinated.
At least 4,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year. The vaccination drive targets at least 800, 000 10-year-old girls.
They will get two jabs, the second one after six months.
The vaccine will be offered in public, private, faith-based and NGO health facilities at no charge.
HPV vaccination has been rolled out and embraced by 115 countries globally.
Speaking during a media briefing Wednesday, ahead of the launch in Mombasa, Health CS Sicily Kariuki, allayed parents and stakeholders concerns over the safety of the vaccine saying it has no side effects.
She disclosed that cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women and is preventable through vaccination.
“Cancer of the Cervix is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Kenya. Nine women die from cervical cancer in Kenya alone, every day. This is one too many! Cervical Cancer is now preventable through vaccination,” CS Sicily Karuiki said.
Kariuki said her Ministry was working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other agencies in the roll-out of the nationwide HPV vaccine initiative.
In Kenya, cancer is the 3rd leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. In 2018 alone, 49,000 new cancer cases were diagnosed and 33,000 deaths documented.
The WHO has approved the immunization’s safety saying the countries that have already implemented it have not recorded any harmful side effects.
Australia the first country to introduce the vaccine into the routine immunization program could soon be declared a cervical cancer-free.