Taguig City mothers join fight for an HPV-free future

MOTHERS play an important role in shaping their daughters’ lives — and this includes helping ensure her future health by protecting them at an early age from potentially fatal illnesses such as cervical cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths among Filipinas.

The Department of Health (DoH), supported by the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), recognizes the integral role of mothers in helping their daughters understand the importance of early protection from Human Papillomavirus (HPV) — the leading cause of cervical cancer.

The DoH’s School-Based Immunization Program (SBIP) recently reached Lakeshore Hall in Taguig City, where mothers accompanied their young daughters aged 9 to 13 years old in receiving their first dose of quadrivalent HPV vaccine that is administered by the government for free as part of its expanded program on immunization.

The HPV vaccination program is targeted to make protection against HPV-related diseases such as cervical cancer more accessible to Filipino women especially for those who can’t afford the costs of immunization. Dr. Jennifer Co,

OB-GYN and Infectious Disease Specialist, noted that one dose of the vaccine can range from P3,000 to 4,000. Young female stu

dents from 9 to 13 years of age would need two doses of HPV vaccine. Meanwhile, adult females up to 45 years old would follow the three dose regimen schedule.

Under the HPV SBIP, more parents learn the value of having their daughters vaccinated at a young age through awareness and education seminars that are held before the schools ask for their consent. The quadrivalent HPV vaccine is most recommended to be administered to girls aged 9 to 13 years of age because they still have optimum immune resistance to the infection.