HPV: Apathy to vaccine worrisome – medical experts
Medical experts have expressed worry at the level of apathy displayed by Nigerians to receiving the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
HPV is a sexually transmitted infection which is common among teens and young adults. There are many different types of HPV. Some types can cause health problems, including genital warts and cancers.
HPV is transmitted by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It is most commonly spread during vaginal or anal sex.
It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex. A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms
But there are vaccines that can stop these health problems from happening.
The medical experts, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states, said that HPV was one of the causes of cervical cancer, which has killed thousands of women.
Dr Adefesoye Akinpelu, the Director of Disease Control and Immunization at the Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, said that it was worrisome that some people could doubt the importance of the Human Papillioma Virus (HPV) vaccine.
“It is very pathetic that some parents and guardians are doubting and feeling reluctant towards the vaccine.
“This vaccine is so important that people at the child bearing age should take it to prevent them from having cervical cancer, which is very common among young ladies.
“So, it’s unfortunate that most teachers and stakeholders that are supposed to give right information to the concerned people are not so conversant about this vaccine,” Akinpelu said.
He said that the Ondo state government was yet to start mass HPV vaccination, promising that the agency would continue to sensitise the people of the imminent danger of not receiving the vaccine.
“The Primary Healthcare Development Agency will continue to sensitise people and organise workshops when the implementation of the vaccine is to commence in the state.
“They will know more about the virus and the vaccine and their important role of taking the vaccine so that they will not come down with the cancer.
“We are not yet doing the campaign because we are yet to start the vaccination. The programme will start in 2024.
By the time we want to start, we will roll out series of enlightenment programmes including meetings with traditional rulers, opinion leaders, and community influencers like we did for Covid-19 vaccine,” he stated.
The director also decried some reports on social media discouraging people from receiving the vaccine on claims that it would prevent them giving birth.
“ There is a rumour going on in the state, that federal government and some presidents in the world want to use the vaccine to cause drastic reduction in the population of the world and that whoever takes the vaccine is going to die. This is a blatant lie.
“ I am using this medium to debunk the rumour. I want to say that no vaccine has been designed to kill or reduce fertility rate of anybody in this country,” he assured.
Also speaking, the Supervisor of the Mainmaret Group of Schools, Oba Ile, Mrs Lateefah Shittu, said that many parents and guardians were scared to allow their children and wards to take the HPV vaccine due to the rumour going around.
According to her, 90 per cent of parents during the recent Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meeting in the school refused to authorise the vaccine being administered to their daughters.
“I think the problem is that they don’t have trust in the vaccine and in the government,” she said.
Shittu asked government to embark on rigorous enlightenment programmes like it did for the Covid-19 vaccination and make it compulsory for the age group.
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“They should do the same thing as regards this HPV vaccine. They can give certificate to those that have taken and make such certificate a criterion for common entrance examination and registration for children.
“ Though, some human right activists may kick against such suggestion but something must be done in preventing this cancer among our young ladies. Ignorance kills a lot,” she said.
In Ekiti, the government said it had engaged in high level enlightenment on the HPV vaccine for the girl child, to prevent cervical cancer among them.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Banji Filani, said that the present administration in the state, which has healthcare as one of its cardinal programmes, was not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring adequate health for all residents.
He said that other areas of health concerns including cervical cancer were also attracting government’s due attention.
He described Cervical cancer as a preventable disease, and should not continue to cause as much morbidity and mortality as it does in some climes.
Filani said that with the knowledge that the control of cervical cancer could be achieved through health promotion, removal or reduction of modifiable risk factors associated with the disease and immunization against the Human Papilloma virus, government was not leaving any stone unturned.
Also, an Ado-Ekiti based medical doctor, Dr Banji Akinlabi, said that majority of the residents appeared to still have poor knowledge of HPV and just above average had a positive attitude to cervical cancer screening.
Similarly in Osun, Dr Isiaka Adekunle, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, said that the government embarked on awareness on Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine in the state on Oct. 24.
Adekunle said that at the initial stage when administration of the vaccination started, there was some form of resistance, as people doubted the real intention of the government
He said that through regular enlightenment and the engagement of community leaders, the government was able to make the people understand the importance and purpose for the vaccine.
Adekunle said that the narrative has since changed as the turn out and acceptability of the vaccine was now encouraging.
He said that the officials of the ministry had been going round schools, religious houses and markets to administer the vaccine on girls between ages 9 and 14.
Also, Dr Babatunde Bello , Director of Public Health, in the ministry said the level of enlightenment of HPV vaccine for the school girls in the state had been so effective.
Bello, in an interview with NAN said the vaccine was administered to schools girls between the ages nine and 14 in the state.
He said the rate of turn-out of girls in both private and public schools for the vaccine had been encouraging without any form of fear from parents.
Bello said that the vaccine was unveiled by the deputy governor, Kola Adewusi, in Ede town two weeks ago .
” The unveiling exercise of the vaccine was carried out by the deputy governor in Ede Local Government Area.
” We have our officials around the state to further sensitised people on the need to get these girls vaccinated”, he said.
Bello said in order to strengthened the sensitisation campaign against cervical cancer, the ministry had taken the crusade to media houses, market places, hospitals and other strategic locations in the state.
Mrs Gloria Olaosebikan, the Deputy Director, Nursing Education, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), has said that rejecting Human Papilloma Virus(HPV) vaccine may lead to cervical cancer and death among young girls.
Olaosebikan, in an interview with NAN in Ile-Ife, said that cervical cancer is deadly.
“We know that cervical cancer is very rampant and deadly, and had claimed many lives.
” Rather than running helter and skelter in the nearest future, it is better for teenage girls to get the vaccine, now that it is free.
“To treat cervical cancer is not an easy task and apart from the financial aspect to treat it, many cases even result in death”, she said.
Olaosebikan decried the apathy attitude of some parents towards the rejection of the vaccine and dispelled all the negative rumour attached to it.
She appealed to parents to allow their daughters to get HPV immunisation before it is to late, adding that it is for the future benefit of the girl-child.
Also, Mrs Toyin Olatunji, the Local Immunisation officer (LIO) for Ife Central Local Government Area, said that rejection of the vaccine may lead to cervical cancer and barrenness for girls in the nearest future.
Olatunji said that while some schools had been receptive to administration of the vaccine, some rejected it with the claim that parents had warned them against allowing their children to take it.
She appealed to the government on more advocacy on the vaccine for more conviction.
