Health

Ogun commences HPV vaccination Oct 24, targets 500,000 teenage girls

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2 years ago

OGUN State government, on Tuesday, said it would commence vaccination against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) for about 500,000 teenage girls.

This was disclosed by the state coordinator for the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Victoria Adebiyi, during a media orientation on HPV vaccination in the state.

She informed that the vaccination will be administered to girls from the ages of nine to 14 free of charge.

Dr Adebiyi said the vaccination is aimed at preventing the spread of cervical cancer among teenage girls in the state, adding that a single dose of the Gardasil HPV vaccine would be administered.

The state coordinator of NPHCDA added that the state had been selected among 16 other states for the first phase of vaccination nationwide.

She explained further that the vaccine would be administered in all government-owned health facilities and temporary fixed locations such as markets, schools, religious centres and communities.

She noted that HPV infection accounts for 95 percent of cervical cancer, hence, the Federal Government moved to introduce HPV vaccines to prevent and protect the girl children.

Adebiyi said, “The campaign is for five days throughout the 20 local government areas of the state and, during this period, teenage girls between the ages of nine and 14 will be given the HPV vaccine against cervical cancer.

“After the five-day campaign, HPV vaccination against cervical cancer will be routine for girls from nine years of age. What this means is that every girl who has attained the age of nine will be vaccinated at public health facilities.

“Our target is 546,300 teenage girls ages nine to 14. The vaccine is available at all public health facilities, including the Federal Medical Centre (FMC).”

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, assured of the safety of the vaccine, as he admonished religious and community leaders to encourage parents to allow their daughters to go for the vaccine.