Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
HPV vaccine is safe for girls and prevents cervical cancer
DESPITE three decades of research on cervical cancer and the benefits of the HPV vaccine, the misconception continues.
Recently, parents around the province have been protesting against their children getting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
The Western Cape Health Department, together with experts in the field, have been working hard since the 1980s to find revolutionary ways to prevent cervical cancer.
The answer, they say, is the HPV vaccine, which is introduced to young girls between the ages of nine and 12.
It is for this reason that they continue with education drives to inform the public that the HPV vaccine is safe and effective and can be trusted.
UCT Professor Lynette Denny is a senior specialist in gynaecological oncology in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and has dedicated her career to finding ways to prevent cervical cancer.
Denny has indicated that the main cause for cervical cancer is HPV after numerous studies were done.
Byron La Hoe, communications for the Western Cape Government Health Department, said the HPV vaccine is being offered to girls over the age of nine at schools between February and March.
The department said the disease was common in women between the ages of 35 and 44 and that each child would be provided with a consent form for their parents to sign.
“Cervical cancer, the leading cause of cancer among women aged 35 and 44 years, is an almost entirely preventable disease.
“An effective and affordable way of preventing this is through vaccination against the human papillomavirus, which is being offered to girls in Grade 5 over the age of nine years in public and special schools during February and March 2022.
“World Cancer Day celebrated this month reminds us how essential it is to support prevention efforts and save people’s lives. Parents and caregivers can play a vital role in supporting the Western Cape Department of Health’s HPV vaccination programme this year. They are reminded that the consent forms that they sign is going to be only for the HPV vaccine, which is different from the Covid-19 vaccine. The HPV vaccine and the Covid-19 vaccine are not the same.”
La Hoe said while they are aware that parents are concerned about the side effects of the HPV vaccine, it was safe.
“According to the World Health Organization, a large majority of cervical cancer (more than 95%) is due to the HPV. The more eligible girls are vaccinated against the HPV, the lower their risk of developing cervical cancer when they are adults. We acknowledge parents’ concerns to vaccinate their children because they work hard to protect them every day.
“As with all vaccinations, some girls may experience some bruising or redness at the injection site. In most cases, the side effects usually resolve within a few days.”
He added the global pandemic had decreased the roll-out of the HPV vaccine at schools due to the rotational timetable.
Sister Beatrice Groenewald, the Overberg district child health coordinator, said her team used various methods to ensure girls received their vaccine and this included answering queries.
“With the help of girls in Grade 5, we are sending their parents printed HPV vaccine frequently asked questions in local languages, together with the consent form. This can enable them to familiarise themselves with the key facts (that the HPV is safe and effective and that it is different from the Covid-19 vaccine) and make an informed decision. Each girl who returns a signed consent form will then receive a ruler as a gift.
“We will again rely on our good relationships with the schools and community health workers. Support for our HPV vaccination campaign will go a long way in helping us eliminate cervical cancer.”
Kerry Mauchline, spokesperson for Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, said that HPV had been around for years.
“The HPV vaccination roll-out was first introduced in schools in 2014 through the Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP) – the Department of Health is administering the vaccines.”