Parents encouraged to give consent for their daughters to be vaccinated

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), after breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second-most common and leading cause of cancer deaths among women in SA, particularly among adolescents and women aged 15 to 44.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) causes over 70% of cervical cancer cases by infecting the cervix (mouth of the womb. The virus is sexually transmitted.

In SA, more than 5 000 new cases are reported annually, and most are fatal. To ensure girls are and remain protected against cervical cancer later in life, they must get the HPV vaccine between the ages of nine and 15 before they are sexually active.

To effect this life-saving approach, the Gauteng Department of Health runs the HPV vaccination first-round campaign in all public primary and special schools in Gauteng. It commenced on February 5 and will end on March 20.

The campaign mainly targets Grade Five girls aged nine years and older who are vaccinated with a single dose of the Cervarix HPV vaccine, which is safe and effective in preventing the HPV infection caused by type 16 and 18 HPV strains.

During the previous vaccination drive from September to October 2023, 74 359 out of 87 910 (84.6%) Grade Five girls were fully vaccinated with the HPV second-dose vaccine.

Those girls who were not yet nine years old or were absent during the campaign will be given their catch-up single doses. Unlike in previous years, the vaccine is now administered in a single dose instead of two.

The MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, appealed to parents, caregivers and legal guardians who have not yet signed the consent form to do so to ensure their children do not miss out on the HPV single-dose vaccination campaign.

“We wish to appeal to those who did not sign the consent form to consider the long-term implications of not having their children immunised.

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“By giving consent, you are taking a responsible step to ensure we save the future of our girls, a single dose at a time,” pleaded Nkomo-Ralehoko.

A mother of an eligible girl child aged nine, Matshidiso Luta (39) from Vereeniging, who is also a cervical cancer survivor, said she was pleased to receive the consent form and gave permission for the school health team to administer the HPV vaccine to her daughter.

“I feel blessed and relieved knowing my daughter will get the HPV vaccine to protect her against cervical cancer. I do not want to see her go through the same stressful, difficult, and painful time I went through during my battle with the disease,” said Luta.

A consent form signed and ticked in all the boxes at the start of the year is used for the routine comprehensive Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP) and is valid for the year.

ISHP includes school health screenings (eye health, hearing, oral assessment, nutritional assessments, deworming) and onsite health services.

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