City runs a campaign to protect young girls against cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is caused by HPV, which is a sexually transmitted infection and is detected through pap smear testing and routine pelvic exams.
The City of Johannesburg’s Health Department has restarted the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine campaign to help protect primary school girls from getting cervical cancer.
The HPV vaccine is administered twice. The first round of vaccine takes place from March 1 to April 30. The second round of the vaccine will take place in September and October.
The HPV vaccine campaign, which is a partnership between the City, the national Department of Health and the national Department of Basic Education, targets girls who are nine years old in public and special schools.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women in developing countries. In South Africa, it is estimated that about 5 743 women will develop cervical cancer and 3 027 women will die from it.
Cervical cancer is caused by HPV, which is a sexually transmitted infection and is detected through pap smear testing and routine pelvic exams.
The HPV vaccine campaign started in 2014 and targets 518 schools in the City of Joburg.
About 23 000 to 30 000 primary school girls receive the HPV vaccine. The vaccine is shown to be more effective in young girls and should be administered before exposure to HPV infection.
“Although our efforts are focused on Covid-19, we are pleased that we are still able as a City to provide much-needed vaccination programmes like the HPV vaccine,” said MMC for Health and Social Development Eunice Mgcina.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa and health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize continue to emphasise that vaccination remains the best defence against serious illness and death. Vaccines have reduced the morbidity and mortality of infectious diseases,” said Mgcina.
She added that it was essential that parents were encouraged and educated about the importance of vaccinating their girl children against HPV to best equip them with a fighting chance against opportunistic infections.
She said the City’s primary healthcare practitioners and health promoters were already on the ground to ensure the success of the HPV vaccination programme.
The schoolgirls will need to have a signed consent form from a parent or guardian before the vaccine can be administered.
The following girls will not receive the vaccination during the campaign:
• Girls younger than nine years
• Girls who have already received the HPV 1 and 2 vaccines
• Girls who have been very ill in the last seven days
• Girls who are pregnant or breastfeeding
