MANILA, Philippines — Nine-year-old girls can avail vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV) for free in 2025 after getting funding from the government, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said on Tuesday.
Herbosa said that the HPV vaccines will be given for free to those who want to get vaccinated.
“One thing I requested from President BBM is to fund the HPV vaccination for all 9-year-old girls. One dose costs P4,000 and we will have two doses. And BBM agreed to do so… We are now funding, next year 2025 all girls who want HPV vaccination,” Herbosa said in a media forum in Quezon City.
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Further, Herbosa said that the HPV vaccination, which prevents cervical cancer, is part of the health agency’s school-based immunization program. Herbosa also shared that they vaccinated a total of 505,010 9-year-old girls in Grade 4, reaching 64.48 percent of the target population.
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“We have available vaccines as much as 40 percent more. So we can continue giving the HPV vaccines. I go to other areas and I give HPV vaccines in what we call my DOH Kalusugan Caravan,” Herbosa added.
He said that Region (Ilocos) 1 and Caraga Region (Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat Island) achieved above targets in HPV vaccination among young girls.
Herbosa noted that aside from giving HPV vaccines for free in schools from October to November 2024, they have also given measles and rubella, tetanus and diphtheria vaccines among other grade levels.
A total of 1,110,698 Grade 1 students or 67.6 percent of the total target and 939,062 or 59.9 percent Grade 7 students were given measles and rubella boosters.
Meanwhile, 1,106,389 or 67 percent of the total population of Grade 1 students and 937,056 or 59 percent of the target population of Grade 7 students received tetanus diphtheria vaccinations.
The health secretary also mentioned that three regions across the country achieved the highest vaccination rate: Cordillera Administrative Region (97 percent), Caraga Region (95 percent), and Region 10 (94 percent).
Herbosa also reminded parents to vaccinate their children to protect them from these vaccine-preventable diseases.