City of Joburg launches HPV vaccination campaign
JOBURG - The City of Johannesburg Health Department, together with Gauteng Department of Health, will embark on a campaign to provide the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to school-going girls.
This is the second year that the annual campaign will run.
This year’s theme is Protecting South African Girls against Cancer of the Cervix.
“The Department of Health teams will visit public and special education schools during the campaign to administer free HPV vaccinations to girls in Grade 4 who are nine years and older,” says Nonceba Molwele, the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development in the City of Johannesburg.
The first dose of HPV1 will be administered from 23 February to 20 March and HPV2 doses will take place from 29 September to 31 October.
The purpose of this intervention is to prevent cervical cancer.
Almost 80 percent of cervical cancers are caused by HPV.
The virus can infect the genital area and cause genital warts or cervical and other cancers.
The vaccination prevents the virus from developing on the cervix.
“Parents need to ensure that they have signed and returned the consent forms which they will receive from the school that their child attends. No girl will be vaccinated without parental consent,” emphasises Molwele.
