HPV: Osun govt allays fear of vaccine

The Osun State Government has urged parents and guardians not to be afraid to allow the administering of the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine (HPVV) to their female children.

The HPVV is intended for female children between the ages of 9 to 15 to prevent them from contracting cervical cancer.

The Executive Secretary of the Osun State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr Oluwole Fabiyi, made this known at a sensitisation forum organized by World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Osogbo.

Fabiyi also informed the participants that the vaccine is just like regular routine vaccine exercise.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Officer for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Osun, Dr Olawale Oluwabukola, stated that the vaccine is very effective and extensive research has been conducted to know the extent of its potency.

She hinted that the implementation exercise of the vaccine is scheduled for between September 25 to 29, 2023, throughout the state.

“The benefit of the vaccine is to prevent cervical cancer in female children. With the widespread immunization of the HPV vaccine, it could reduce the impact of cervical cancer in the state.

“This vaccine can prevent most cases of cervical cancer, the vaccine can be taken by both female and male but the targeted persons now is females from ages 9 – 14 years,” she said.

One of the symptoms of cervical cancer, Dr Olawale revealed, includes pain and bleeding after sexual intercourse.