HPV Vaccination Campaign 2016 Starts Today

Western Cape Government Health immunises all children free of charge.  These immunisations are in line with international guidelines, which aim to eradicate harmful illnesses that, if contracted can cause death.  

Many of the immunisations received as children, continue to offer us protection into adulthood. Childhood illnesses such as mumps and measles have dire consequences when contracted in adulthood, often leading to hospitalisation in these patients. The HPV immunisation is a vaccine that is administered to young girls that will offer them protection form cervical cancer much later in their lives.    This is one of the only cancers that can be prevented by immunisation.  Cervical Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women in South Africa, 3000+ women die annually from Cervical Cancer. 

As parents and guardians of our future adults we need to remember:
Children must be immunised to enjoy the benefits of vaccines.   Parents and guardians have a responsibility not only to the future health of our children, but also to the future health of our country. The more people that are immunised the better the health of the community.
Western Cape Government health teams will be visiting all government and special education schools throughout the province from today,16 February to 18 March 2016 to administer the HPV vaccine to all Grade 4 girls who are nine years old. 
No child may be immunised without parental consent. Consent forms will be sent home with your Grade 4 daughter. Parents need to return the consent form to the school, even if they do not want their daughter immunised.

The HPV vaccine prevents the infection of HPV, which is the leading cause of cervical cancer in women.  The leading cause of cervical cancer is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).  There are over 52 strains of the virus; however numbers 16 & 18 are present in more than 70% of cervical cancers.  Immunisation protects women from Cervical Cancer by preventing HPV from developing. 

For more information click on links below:

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