GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness will administer a second round of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine which prevents cervical cancer, until 31 October.
Health spokesperson for the Garden Route, Nadia Ferreira, said in a statement that girls in Grade 5, over the age of nine, who received the vaccine earlier this year, will be able to have their booster doses after the appropriate parental consent has been obtained.
During the first-round of HPV vaccination, a total of 1 044 schools were visited and 76% of the girls eligible received their first dose, Ferreira said.
According to the department, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women aged 15 to 44 years in South Africa, with about 70% of invasive cancers caused by the HPV serotypes 16 and 18.
To obtain maximum effectiveness the vaccine needs to be administered before any sexual activity or intimate contact occurs, which means vaccinating as early as age nine.
Deputy director of Child Health in the department, Sonia Botha, said the second dose of HPV vaccination gives girls the appropriate defence in prevention of cervical cancer later on in life.
"It gives you peace of mind, knowing your daughter is protected," Botha said.
The HPV vaccination campaign is dependent on the support of parents and caregivers and it is necessary that the consent forms are completed and submitted to the schools prior to the nurses’ visits.
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