This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
Kenya is set to roll out a free cervical cancer vaccine to 800,000 ten-year-old girls later this month. However, a new study has found a potential loophole in the vaccine's effectiveness.
The study, published on August 26, 2019, in the journal Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases, suggests that girls infected with bilharzia may not get maximum protection from the vaccine. Bilharzia, also known as snail fever, is a common ailment in some parts of the country.
According to Dr. Lucy Ochola of the Kenya Institute of Primate Research, who co-authored the study, the researchers observed a clear decline in HPV antibody levels during a chronic bilharzia infection. The study was carried out on 10 olive baboons at the Kenya Institute of Primate Research.
The researchers found that in baboons infected with bilharzia, the cervical cancer vaccine produced the lowest protection compared to uninfected animals or those which had been treated for bilharzia. However, deworming improved the overall antibody levels and the vaccine's efficacy.
The study suggests that girls and women targeted for the vaccine be tested and treated for bilharzia before the vaccination. The researchers also recommend that policies for parasite treatment prior to HPV vaccination may be required to provide an efficient vaccine-induced response.
Dr. Ochola noted that bilharzia is a serious health problem in some parts of the country, with a recent study estimating that 45% of the total population of pre-school children is infected with the parasite.
Meanwhile, a team from the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the University of Washington is rolling out a study to find out whether it is possible to provide one instead of two doses of the vaccine. The study aims to learn whether a single dose of the HPV vaccine prevents infection among adolescents and young women.
