Gauteng MEC for Health takes vaccination drive to Klipspruit school
The vaccination drive protects school girls against cervical cancer later in life.
The MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo- Ralehoko and the Gauteng Department of Health(GDoH) participated in a vaccination drive at Welizibuko Primary School in Klipspruit, Soweto, on February 3.
They were there to oversee the start of the single-dose Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive.
This vaccine protects school girls from cervical cancer later in life.
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The campaign targets grades Five, Six and Seven learners aged nine or older.
HPV is a common virus that can infect men and women and causes cervical cancer in women later in life.
It primarily transfers by skin-to-skin contact through sexual intercourse and contact in the genital area.
The GDoH uses the Cervarix HPV vaccine, which is safe and effective in preventing HPV Type 16 and 18, responsible for most cervical cancers.
Parents, caregivers and legal guardians are urged to sign consent forms to ensure their children get this life-saving vaccination and other Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP) services.
The GDoH appeals to parents with children in private schools to permit their children to get vaccinated and for principals to give access to ISHP teams to vaccinate the targeted girls in private schools.
