Cape Town - Grade 5 female learners over nine years old will now be to get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) at public and special schools over the next two months in an effort to eradicate cervical cancer in women.
The provincial health department said this was an effective and affordable way to prevent one of the leading causes of cancer among women aged 35 and 44 years old, which is an entirely preventable disease.
World Cancer Day was recently commemorated on February 4 to raise awareness, encourage prevention, detection and treatment of various forms of cancers.
Provincial Health Department spokesperson Byron la Hoe said the HPV vaccinations programme was rolled out in 2014 and formed part of the Integrated School Health Programme.
To be fully protected, two doses (a minimum of five months apart) are offered each year to girls in Grade 5. The HPV vaccination programme will be rolled out during February and March 2022.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a reduction in the 2021 vaccination coverage provincially. Nurses found it more difficult to reach those learners attending schools on a rotational timetable, while misinformation and other reasons led to parents and caregivers withdrawing consent forms, particularly around the time when children 12 years and older became eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine.
“As we can only administer HPV vaccines on the premises of schools, our nurses will again work hard to ensure good relations with principals and teachers so that we can reach as many eligible girls as possible this year,” said the department in a statement released yesterday,“ said La Hoe.
The World Health Organization states that 99% of cervical cancer cases are linked to high risk HPV, an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact, with persistent HPV infections likely to cause cervical cancer.
Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said: “The Basic Education and Health Departments have been collaborating on this national programme, whilst the WCED and Western Cape Health Department have worked in close co-operation.
“ The availability of an effective vaccine against the most prevalent high risk types of HPV has made it possible to protect women against cervical cancer.”