Vaccination push into Upper Hutt colleges
Upper Hutt’s medical centres are coming together to give local college students - boys and girls - the opportunity to receive the HPV vaccine at their own schools.
The initiative, developed by representatives of five medical centres, follows the Government move this year to fully fund the vaccine for young people, up to 26 years old.
‘‘It is hoped the Upper Hutt initiative will be used as an example around New Zealand,’’ Queen St Medical assistant manager Maria Dunn said.
‘‘Having the medical centres working together as a group like this can only help improve the health outcomes in our community.
‘‘Clinical staff will visit the colleges in the coming weeks to administer the vaccine to those students who wish to have it. ‘‘The medical centres here recognise how valuable this vaccine is and have come together with the aim of improving the health outcomes of our local youth.
‘‘Getting more kids vaccinated can only be a good thing and we’d like to see a big turnout at the information meeting we are having,’’ Dunn said.
‘‘It is positive to see the community working together to promote positive outcomes for the health and well being of our young people,’’ Upper Hutt College assistant principal Stephen Rodger said.
‘‘We applaud this initiative and are pleased to see the collaboration of the local medical centres,’’ Te Awakairaingi Health Network general manager Paul Abernethy said.
‘‘This is an example of what can be achieved for a community through a joined up model where practices collaborate to achieve improved health outcomes.’’
The increased HPV vaccine funding and availability comes eight years after it was fully subsidised for girls from the age of nine to 12 years.
This first national scheduling was aimed at females because cervical cancer was the most common cancer caused by HPV. Boys were not funded but could take an immunisation course at an approximate cost of $400.
A two-dose HVP schedule is used for children 14 years and under while three-doses over several months are required for
DETAILS
An information meeting on the upcoming vaccination programme in Upper Hutt’s colleges will be held on Sunday, March 19 at 4pm at The Cossie Club. Health professionals, including local doctors, will outline the programmeand present information on the HPV vaccine. Parents and caregivers and their college age children are encouraged to come along to find out about the benefits and availability of the government-funded vaccine and discuss any concerns or issues they might have.
For more information see: health.govt.nz/hpv or www. immune.org.nz people 15 years and older.
HPV [human papilloma virus] stands for the group of very common viruses that infect about four out of five people at some time in their lives. HPV causes cells to grow abnormally in both males and females. Over time these abnormalities can lead to cancers such as mouth, throat, penile, anal and cervical as well as genital warts.
Over the past 11 years, the number of HPV infections and diseases has fallen significantly among young people in countries offering HPV immunisation, including New Zealand.