Indications have emerged that Lagos state, along with 15 other states in Nigeria, will roll out the first phase of the free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for girls between nine to 14 years from September 25th to 30th, 2023.
Other states that will benefit from the first phase of the vaccination for pre-teen girls includes Abuja, Nasarawa, Kano, Jigawa, Enugu, Abia, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Kebbi, Osun and Ogun states.
Director of Health Education and Health Promotion Services, the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB), Mrs. Clara Owojuyigbe, who disclosed this at a one-day media orientation campaign in Lagos, appealed to parents to bring their girl children to be vaccinated, saying that it is a prophylactic strategy against HPV infection and will assist to guarantee that young girls are protected before they become sexually active.
“About 70,000 new cases HPV are recorded annually and with the rollout of the vaccine, approximately 17,000 deaths will be prevented. We are appealing to parents, religious leaders and community leaders to bring their children and wards to get vaccinated.
“We will be taking the vaccinations to churches, mosques, schools, markets, primary healthcare centres and private hospitals that are being used as immunization centres. The vaccine is expensive but the government is making it available for pre-teen girls for free and it is important that the community takes advantage of this,” Owojuyigbe further appealed.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Adolescent Health and HPV Vaccine Introduction Consultant to Lagos state, Boma Utobo, said the second most frequent cancer in Nigeria and the fourth most prevalent worldwide is cervical cancer.
Utobo said given that the myths and disinformation surrounding the HPV vaccine were untrue, it is crucial for parents to bring their girl children in for the immunisation. “For every vaccination, there are side effects that are common. It is allergic to some. After vaccination, the person might get a little fever or swelling in the area that was injected. These are normal reactions and parents should not use this as a reason not to bring their pre-teen daughters for vaccination.
“The vaccine has an efficacy rate of 95 per cent and the HPV vaccination has been used in other countries like the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), China and India. Success stories have been wherever it is used, and we want to replicate that success here. One shot of the vaccine is enough to protect the body against HPV infection for a lifetime,” Utobo posited.
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