A statement released by the Western Cape Health Department is trying to shed some light on improving the health of women through its health campaigns, free services and vaccinations against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
The department says that HPV is responsible for 99% of cervical cancer cases. For this reason, health officials have been visiting public and special schools across the province to administer the HPV vaccinations.
When must my daughter be vaccinated?
According to the department the HPV vaccination provides the best protection against the HPV and two doses of the vaccine need to be administered.
“Up until 2019, only Grade 4 learners whose parents and caregivers signed consent forms received the HPV vaccinations. In March and April 2021, health teams visited a total of 1 080 schools and achieved a 67% first dose cover of HPV vaccinations. The low dose coverage could be attributed due to the school closures and interruptions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Advisory Group on Immunisation (NAGI) recommended changing the target to Grade 5 learners in 2020,” reads the statement.
The first round of this year’s campaign takes place from 14 February 2022 until 31 March 2022 with the second round of the campaign starting from 2 September until 31 October 2022.
The department highlights that girls in Grade 5 over the age of 9-years with the necessary consent, who did not receive the HPV vaccine in 2021, will have a second opportunity to be vaccinated.
Why is the HPV vaccination necessary?
HPV is the virus that causes cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women after breast cancer. Over 99% of all cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection of high-risk types of HPV.
“The vaccination protects girls from being infected by HPV and reduces the risk of developing HPV related cervical cancer later in life. The younger your daughter is, the better her body’s immune system can respond to the vaccine, resulting in the production of protective antibodies against the virus,” says the departement.
The provincial campaign at public and special schools is only targeted at Grade 5 girls over 9 years of age. If your daughter is attending a private school and you would like her to be vaccinated, you need to contact a private health care facility and have the vaccination done privately.
Western Cape Minister of Health Dr Nomafrench Mbombo stated: “It’s imperative that we encourage parents to vaccinate their daughters. Maternal and child health forms part of the quadruple burden of disease. The focus is prevention and promotion rather than curative. That is why we appeal to all Grade 4 girls to inform their parents, guardians and extended families that the vaccination is available.”
HPV statistics
The prevalence of cervical cancer in South Africa is reported to be between 22,8 and 27 per 100 000 women as compared to the global average of 15.8.. 5 743 new cases are reported each year.. Approximately 3 000 women die each year due to cervical cancer in South Africa.. 99% of cervical cancers are associated with HPV.. Almost 7 in every 10 people will have HPV at some point in their lifetime.. 2 strains of HPV (HPV-16 and HPV-18) are found to cause over 70% of the cervical cancer cases.
The department says that the Cervarix vaccination will be administered in 2 doses for optimal cover. They say it protects against the HPV-16 and HPV-18 strains.
Furthermore they add that the vaccination is free. You can contact your daughter’s school if you haven’t received a consent form yet and find out when the health professionals will be at the school to administer the vaccinations.
“If the signed consent form has not been returned to the school, your daughter will not be vaccinated.”
