Ilocos Sur pupils receive vaccine vs cervical cancer

ANTICANCER Health workers in Narvacan town in Ilocos Sur province give a pupil vaccine to protect her from the human papilloma virus. LEONCIO BALBIN JR./Contributor

NARVACAN, Ilocos Sur—Nine-year-old Brittany Comiso held back tears when the needle pierced her shoulder, but she brightened up soon after, confident that the vaccination had just saved her life.

Comiso was one of 97 grade school pupils who were vaccinated on Tuesday by health officials to protect them from cervical cancer.

They were Grades 4 and 5 pupils of Narvacan North Central School, Narvacan Central School and Sulvec Integrated School, who took part in the Department of Health’s nationwide human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination program.

The Narvacan HPV vaccination program was the first to be undertaken this year and the first for the Ilocos region.

Comiso said she knew what was at stake and was grateful for the government doctors who facilitated the program. Each dose of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine costs P5,000 in the market.

According to the DOH, cervical cancer is second leading cause of death among Filipino women, next to breast cancer.

“It is public health burden. Mahirap mawalan ng ina (It is hard to lose a mother),” said John Lee Gacusan, Ilocos regional coordinator of the DOH expanded program for immunization. Leoncio Balbin Jr., Contributor