LILONGWE, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Malawi government will this month administer the second mass cervical cancer vaccine (Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine) to girls aged 9 and 10, as a means of protecting them from cervical cancer.
The Malawi government made the announcement Wednesday in a statement signed by Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Population Services Dan Namalika.
The vaccine will be administered from Jan.20 to Jan.24 in line with recommendations by the World Health Organization.
"The vaccine is given to 9-year-old girls in two doses: the first dose is given to girls at the age of 9 and second one is given 12 months after the first dose," reads the statement.
The ministry has called upon all parents, guardians and teachers to ensure that all young girls who are supposed to receive the vaccination should receive it to protect them from cervical cancer.
According to the ministry, the first round of vaccine in 2019, which was supported by the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, was successful.
Currently Malawi has one of the highest rate of cervical cancer in the world.
