‘HPV vaccination pays off’

Charmaine Brown Herald Reporter
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination which started on Monday this week has received a positive response from Chitungwiza residents, with many children having benefited from the programme. In an interview with The Herald yesterday, Chitungwiza Municipality’s health department public relations officer Mr Lovemore Meya said the vaccination programme will run for a week .

“The vaccination programme will run for a week. HPV is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract and causes cervical cancer in women,” he said.

“This campaign is school-based so we will be targeting schools that are registered with the Ministry of Education, for all girls not in registered schools or in informal schools or colleges, we are encouraging them to go to their nearest municipal clinic for vaccination during the campaign period.

“The second phased for HPV vaccination is targeting all girls aged between 9 and 14 years who received the first dose in May 2018.

“The campaign will also target all girls enrolled in schools who are in grade 5 and all girls out of school who are 10 years old,” he said.

Mr Meya said as a department, they are targeting about 16 395 girls to be vaccinated.
“Last year, we managed to vaccinate about 16 395 girls and we are also targeting the same number during this campaign,” he said.

The national (HPV) vaccination programme was launched last year in Mutare by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and is expected to benefit over 800 000 girls aged between 10 and 14.
The vaccination campaign started on Monday May 27, 2019 and will be completed by Friday May 31, 2019. Seke North and Seke South school children are yet to be vaccinated.