AS Guyana braces to wage an unrelenting battle against the spread of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) – the virus that causes cervical cancers in women, the Ministry of Public Health on Thursday launched the administering of the HPV Vaccine at Mae’s Primary School, Subryan Ville, Georgetown.

It was part of a massive campaign to be rolled out nationally against HPV. Thursday’s target at Mae’s was 56. Staff of the Ministry of Public Health and teachers worked well into the afternoon to ensure the target was realised, with the aim of keeping the beneficiaries out of harm’s way, even as many wailed for fear of the needles.

The vaccine is being administered to girls aged 9 to 13 year, but technically can be given to girls 9 to 26 years old said Medex Charleen Howard Mohabir, Maternal and Child Health Regional Supervisor, adding that plans are on the cards for boys too, to be immunised against the virus in the future.

Mohabir said that health care providers will be visiting the schools within the respective communities and holding discussions with the teachers, as well as children, in order to allay any fears they might have. She stressed the importance of putting them at ease, since in order to give them the vaccine the children have to be calm.

She said in its communication sessions, health workers ensure that they tell the nation about the virus: How it is transmitted; the dangers associated with it; its effects as well as the side effects; and how to respond.

Expressing her thoughts about the day’s exercise, Medex Mohabir said that even though the day’s target was 56, they anticipate that when they visit the public schools, the numbers will be significantly more.
“But we are all energised and fuelled up to work with teachers and parents,” she assured.

More than 36,000 girls between the ages of nine and 16 years are targeted to be immunised with the HPV vaccine following the re-launch of the HPV immunisation campaign. This was made known to journalists at a press conference by health officials from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and World Health Organisation (WHO), and the Ministry of Public Health.

PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow said that the main purpose of the HPV vaccine is to prevent cervical cancer. The vaccine also protects against genital warts in both females and males.

Dr. Morris Edwards explained that, based on research dated 2003 to 2012, it has been found that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Guyana and that that research has shown that for the period 2003 to 2012, there have been more than 6,500 cancer diagnoses.

The Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with Merck Sharp and Dhome (MSD), a few weeks ago, re-launched the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination project, to guard against cervical cancer in Guyana, said to be one the most prevalent cancers around.