Kenya administers first HIV prevention shots

Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya began administering the first dose of a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug in Nairobi on Thursday. Lenacapavir, taken twice a...

Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya began administering the first dose of a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug in Nairobi on Thursday.

Lenacapavir, taken twice a year, has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9 percent, though it is technically a chemical drug rather than a vaccine because it does not train the immune system.

"Today is a moment of hope for thousands of Kenyan families," Health Minister Aden Duale said during the rollout.

Kenya was among nine African countries selected last year to introduce lenacapavir, which has already been introduced in South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia since December.

There are roughly 1.3 million people living with HIV in Kenya, with the highest burden among those aged 15 to 24.