Premier Health Centre hosts a discussion about the HPV vaccines

Premier Health Centre held an open conversation to assist in identifying and addressing barriers to the uptake of vaccines for the prevention of human papillomavirus- (HPV) related diseases.

Doctors, nurses, and officials from MSD, a multinational pharmaceutical company that develops and discovers vaccines to help prevent diseases, attended the session on July 7.

“HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI), with more than 200 subtypes – which can cause diseases that can vary in seriousness from skin warts to cervical cancer,” explained Dr Nicola Johannsen, a general practitioner at the health centre.

According to Dr Johannsen, the vaccine protects against nine HPV strains, seven of which are high-risk types and have been shown to cause cervical cancer in women, as well as throat cancer and anogenital warts in both men and women.

“These subtypes are mostly transmitted sexually.” “The virus can infect both genders and spread to their partners,” she explained.

Dr. Johannsen is the first person in Randburg to be vaccinated with the newly launched nano-valent HPV vaccine.

When asked why she decided to be vaccinated she said, “Cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death and second- most common cancer among women in South Africa, so prevention of HPV and prevention of cervical cancer is important.”

Sister Shaye Rae from the health centre administered the vaccine and stressed that education regarding HPV should begin at an early age before the person becomes sexually active.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 80% of people are exposed to HPV at some point in their lives.

“This should be done both at home and in schools,” she told Randburg Sun.

The newly launched HPV vaccine does not require a prescription and can be administered to girls and women, boys and men from the age of nine onwards.

For more information on HPV, click here.

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