Zimpapers Logo

Forward Nyanyiwa Correspondent
Government has introduced tetanus toxoid containing vaccine (TTCV) to be administered to all boys and men who will undergo circumcision using the Prepex method, The Herald can reveal.

In a letter signed by the Director of Aids and TB Unit in the Ministry of Health an Child Care, Dr Owen Mugurungi, last month, Government said it has mobilised sufficient (TT) vaccines in line with recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“This serves to inform you of the phased reintroduction of the Prepex circumcision method with TT vaccination.

“As you are aware, the MOHCC has been implementing Prepex circumcision method until December 2016 when WHO recommended TTCV for all boys and men opting for circumcision using the Prepex method.

“In line with this recommendation, the MOHCC has successfully mobilised sufficient TT vaccines to enable the resumption of this method as an option to the surgical method,” read part of the letter which was addressed to city health directors and provincial medical officers.

In order to ensure that the reintroduction is successful, Government said the vaccination will be done in a phased approach with a gradual scale-up nationwide.

For maximum outputs, Dr Mugurungi said vaccinations and the Prepex circumcision will primarily be targeted at males in congregate settings such as schools and workplaces where it is highly probable that they will still be available to receive the second dose of the vaccine.

According to WHO recommendations, the men opting for Prepex should have two doses of TTCV four weeks apart. The device will then be applied on eligible men at least two weeks after the second dose.

Walk-in clients to clinics and health centres will also be vaccinated accordingly. In the event the child has his Child Health Card showing the previous TTCV vaccination, only one dose will be given.

Speaking to The Herald recently, Dr Mugurungi said this was only a preventive measure since the Prepex method allows for clients to go about their daily work routines.

“This is mainly a preventive measure not that we are responding to any outbreak of tetanus. As you might be aware, when one opts for the Prepex method, they are allowed to continue doing their work and let’s say one is a builder, there are high chances of exposure to tetanus infection.

“So as a country, we simply adopted the WHO recommendation as we don’t want to have our people being infected by tetanus,” he said.

Under the Prepex circumcision method a plastic device is placed around the male foreskin to cause gangrene due to interrupted blood supply thereby causing the foreskin to fall off.

Zimbabwe has adopted male circumcision as one of a cocktail of interventions  to meet the revised 95-95-95 2020 HIV targets and combating the once deadly scourge by 2030.

Male circumcision reduces the chances of contracting the HIV virus  by an estimated 60 percent.