HPV vaccine campaign kicks off at public schools

The provincial department of health will be visiting public and special needs schools in October to administer human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to sign and return the required consent form for the second vaccine dose.

A total of 1 129 young girls were vaccinated against HPV from Monday September 4 to Friday September 8..

“For your grade 5 pupils to receive a free HPV vaccine, we need a signed consent form. The vaccine is safe and can prevent cervical cancer, one of the most common cancers in women. But it should be given early, from age nine,” said Sonia Botha, coordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunisations for the Western Cape.

“One of my biggest concerns is that not all children will be fully immunised against HPV if they don’t get the second dose. Therefore we encourage parents to provide consent to prevent your child from developing cervical cancer later in her life,” says Sister Valerie Kruger, school health nurse at Mitchells’ Plain Community Health Centre.

During the first round of HPV vaccinations earlier this year, a total of 1 044 schools were visited in the province and 76% of eligible girls received their first dose.

The department’s HPV vaccine programme forms part of global efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat by 2030. The first step towards this goal is to have 90% of girls fully vaccinated against HPV by the age of 15.

With wide vaccination coverage of girls over the age of nine, it is possible to eliminate HPV as a human pathogen.

For more information about the HPV vaccination programme visit their website on www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/hpv-vaccinations