The year 2024 marks a decade since the Western Cape Department of Health joined the global fight against the human papillomavirus (HPV) through its school-based vaccination programme, where the HPV vaccines are freely offered to young girls to prevent them from contracting cervical cancer later in life.
To expand vaccination coverage and reach and eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat one day, private sector schools are now included in the programme. The second vaccination drive between September and November 2024 is a catch-up opportunity for eligible girls who had missed a dose of the HPV vaccine earlier this year.
The lives of more than 350 000 young girls have been potentially saved in the Western Cape over the last 10 years as parents and health-care workers teamed up to eliminate cervical cancer as a public-health threat in future. Over the next three months the school health teams of the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness will once again visit public and private schools to administer the cancer-prevention HPV vaccine for free on eligible girls in Grade 5, 6 and 7 over the age of 9 years, the department said in a statement.
These hardworking nurses, some of whom have been part of the school-vaccination programme, have made appointments with the principals or teachers at the schools to inform them of the dates when they will visit, and to ensure all the consent forms are distributed. All girls in Grade 5 over the age of 9 years are eligible to receive the HPV vaccine. It is crucial that these consent forms are signed by the eligible girl’s parent, guardian or caregiver. Only girls with signed forms will receive an HPV vaccine.
Sr Colleen van Dieman, HPV coordinator, has been involved with the HPV campaign for 10 years. She said: “It is normal for parents to have concerns, which we acknowledge. As with all vaccinations, some girls may experience some bruising or redness at the vaccination site. In most cases the side effects usually resolve within a few days. Severe allergic reactions are rare. If any reaction is severe or persistent, or if as parents and caregivers you are worried about your child, we welcome you to contact anyone of your closest health-care workers or doctors for more advice. If you have any questions about the procedure speak to the principal at your school so that through us, the relevant questions you have can be answered. We are here to assist and help.”
Cervical cancer disproportionately impacts the lives of women in the province. With the HPV vaccine available for eligible girls at no cost, parents and caregivers have the most effective tool to help fight cervical cancer and contribute towards the province’s efforts to collectively save many lives. The department has a good track record of administering the HPV vaccine. Since 2014 nearly 350 000 vaccines have been administered in the Western Cape, reaching nearly 1 200 schools annually.
“The HPV vaccination programme achieves more than 80% coverage annually,” said Sonia Botha, the Western Cape’s coordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, “demonstrating high acceptance in communities and benefiting more girls in decades to come. This vaccine provides a unique opportunity for us to join forces with communities and invest in the health of women and future of girls in the Western Cape.”
The department’s HPV vaccination 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 age 15. With wide vaccination coverage over the age of 9, it is possible to eliminate HPV in the next few years.
