Cape Town - Thousands of Grade 4 girls in the Western Cape are set to be inoculated against the human papilloma virus (HPV) as the provincial department of Health takes its vaccination campaign to schools this week.
Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said the province was more than ready to roll out the vaccine, which is aimed at averting cervical cancer among this group during adulthood.
“We are more than ready to roll it out, and have enough stock to ensure that all Grade 4 girls are vaccinated against cervical cancer… the second most prevalent form of cancer among women. We are urging parents to support this initiative as it can only benefit their children,” she said.
The campaign, which runs from August 11 to September 4, is the second leg of the programme. The first group of girls was vaccinated during the first school term last year.
More than 400 000 girls across the country – between the ages of nine and 14 – are to be vaccinated against HPV, a virus that is responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancer deaths in the country.
HPV is the name for a common group of viruses that can affect the moist membranes of the cervix, anus, mouth and throat. It is usually spread through sexual contact.
Cervical cancer remains the deadliest form of cancer among women in South Africa, killing between 3 000 and 3 500 women every year. About 6 000 women are diagnosed with it annually and HPV has been singled out as a major contributor to the high number of cervical cancer deaths in the country.
However, the vaccination campaign, which was first introduced in South Africa early last year as part of the national drive to vaccinate young girls, had been received with scepticism by some parents who are refusing to have their children vaccinated.
When the programme was first introduced in the province, only 56 percent of the Grade 4 girls heeded to the “call to vaccinate”, with many parents refusing to sign the consent forms that would give permission to health workers to inoculate their children.
The negative response is believed to stem from vocal anti-vaccination lobby groups, who have raised concerns about the HPV vaccine, linking it to adverse effects, including the onset or exacerbation of auto-immune diseases, multiple sclerosis and diseases of the central nervous system.
Mbombo said although it was natural for parents to be concerned about having their young children vaccinated, the aim of the campaign was “to protect these young girls to make sure that they have a bright, healthy future”.
“As a mother of girls, I also had some questions on what makes one think that my girls will have unsafe sex, but the reality is that negotiation for safe sex is really difficult, especially among teenagers. By vaccinating these young girls, we are protecting them against the effects of cervical cancer.
“Parents have to outweigh the benefits of vaccination versus the so-called adverse effects of vaccination,” she said.
Through the inoculation campaign, the government focused on prevention and promotion of health rather than a curative model – regarded as not only expensive, but resulting in poor outcomes. The benefits of HPV vaccination will only be evident when these girls are in their 20s.
Professor Michael Herbst, head of health at the Cancer Association of SA, said parents were within their rights to refuse vaccination for their young daughters, but could regret that decision later in life.
Cape Argus