Vaccination week shines spotlight on yellow fever, cervical cancer
- HPV vaccine to be added to national schedule by September
Vaccination week was officially launched yesterday at the Dorothy Bailey Health Centre, under the theme ‘Get vax to celebrate a healthy tomorrow.’
Speaking at the launch, Medex Berris Springer stated that locally, vaccination week will be focusing on bringing awareness to the population on yellow fever, an outbreak of which was recently experienced in Brazil, and cervical cancer, which is one of the leading causes of cancer in Guyana.
She stated that HPV (human papillomavirus, the virus that causes cervical cancer) will be highlighted because it is intended that by September, the HPV vaccine will be included on the National Vaccine Schedule. Health practitioners will therefore use this week to sensitise persons about the vaccine and clear up any misinformation about it, Springer said.
Dr Patrice Douglas, keynote speaker at yesterday’s event, while addressing an audience of largely secondary-aged students from several city schools, spoke passionately about cervical cancer prevention and awareness, and made them cognisant of the fact that a vaccine exists to prevent such.
In the more general sense, Douglas stated that expanding access to immunisation is crucial for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals, while noting that vaccination is the building block of a strong, primary healthcare system.
Vaccination week in the Americas began on Saturday, April 22, and will end this Saturday, April 29. According to the Pan American Health Organisation’s website, vaccination week is geared toward advancing equity and access to vaccination, by providing access to health services for populations that usually have little means of acquiring them.
A week of local activities geared toward immunisation awareness and promotion is set to follow yesterday’s launch, including a two-day health fair at City Hall on Thursday and Friday and a health walk on Saturday.
The fair will be held on the forecourt of City Hall from 10 am, when persons will be able to access health services such as vaccinations, medical screening, Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) screening, HIV testing, and even access an environmental as well as a health and safety booth.
On Saturday, those involved in the health walk will gather at the East La Penitence Health Centre and then make their way down Middle Road to the Albouystown Masjid. The walk is scheduled to begin at 6 am.
In addition to those activities, there will be open door sessions at all health centres where persons can bring their immunisation up to date and receive information on their immunisation history if they no longer possess their card.