DOH intensifies cervical cancer prevention drive

With 12 Filipino women dying every day from cervical cancer and the fact that annually 6,000 new cases are diagnosed, the Department of Health (DOH) has decided to expand its human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization drive to 47 provinces. Health Secretary Janette Garin said areas covered by the Sa

Aking Paglaki, Walang HPV vaccination drive has been increased from 20 to 47 provinces, adding that the government has earmarked P795 million for the purchase of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (Types 6, 11, 16, 18) recombinant vaccine.

Preventable through vaccination

“There is nothing more tragic than suffering from a disease that is preventable through vaccination. Vaccination is a modern health-care solution that brings benefits so we should all take advantage of it as much as possible,” Garin noted.

The vaccination drive will target 726,000 young girls nationwide.

They will receive the shot twice with a six-month interval so they can develop protection against HPV’s high-risk strains (Types 16 and 18 are responsible for most HPV-caused cancers) as well as those that can cause genital warts (Types 6 and 11).

During the past years the DOH has vaccinated 272,805 Grade 4 girls from 20 of the poorest areas.

However, the government-led administration of quadrivalent HPV recombinant vaccine among female schoolchildren has been met with opposition, with critics saying the vaccination will encourage early sexual activity.

“As we parents look out for our children’s welfare, we need to understand that arming them with vaccination against HPV is actually the best for them,”Dr. Cecilia Llave, immediate past president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology of the Philippines and of the Philippine Society for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy, said during a recent multisectoral panel held in observance of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.

Protection at a young age

Administering the vaccine this early, according to the DOH and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allows young girls enough time to develop protection long before their age of sexual contact when they can be exposed to HPV infection.

“Sexual activity is almost inevitable. It may be an unsettling prospect but it is the truth and it is reality. We need to look beyond the thought of our children engaging in sex and becoming sexually mature,” Llave said.

HPV should be regarded like Hepatitis A and B, which are among the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection. Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV, with the strains 18 and 16 responsible for 70 percent of all cases.

“The prophylactic vaccine targets these two most dangerous strains as well as HPV 6 and 11, which cause anogenital warts. Remember, it takes 15 to 20 years for cervical cancer to develop in women with normal immune systems, or five to 10 years in women with weakened immune systems, such as those with untreated HIV infection,” Llave said.

She said cervical cancer is the easiest gynecologic cancer to prevent, with regular screening tests and follow-up.

“This is why Pap smear is so important as the simple procedure looks for precancers, cell changes in the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately,” she added.

Early, regular screening is crucial since cervical cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages.

Symptoms often appear only when the tumor grows into surrounding tissues and organs. By that time, treatment would be too hard, too late and too expensive.