DESPITE the Church’s warning that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine causes death and fertility problems, several parents still allowed their children to avail of the free vaccine offered by the Department of Health (DOH).
DepEd Division Medical Officer Josephine Valencia said 3,433 out of the 3,862 eligible female grade five students had themselves vaccinated.
Valencia said it’s not true that HPV vaccine can cause sterility and the vaccine isn’t part of the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law .
The 2008 data of DOH showed that 1,056 out of 4,544 women all over the country died of cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer ranks next to breast cancer as the leading cause of death among women.
DOH will be giving free HPV vaccines to 10,000 female grade five students in the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Talisay, Cebu and the towns of Consolacion and Minglanilla this year.
Dr. Ma. Elizabeth Caluag, Division Chief of National Center for Disease and Prevention Control of DOH said that at least 30,000 doses are prepared for the 10,000 students.
She said the 10 to 14-year-old age group is the ideal age for HPV vaccination because it is the best age for them to have good immuno response.
But the vaccine is also available for those between nine to 45 years old. DOH is hoping to expand the HPV vaccine campaign throughout the country this year.
Caluag told Cebu Daily News that those who got vaccinated will be 70 percent safe from cervical cancer.
The remaining 30 percent can be achieved through healthy lifestyle, proper diet, by avoiding smoking and drinking and with proper exercise, she added.
Women should also undergo screening three years after the first sexual intercourse through papsmear to determine if they are cancer-free.