Cervical Cancer Vaccine in Southland Schools

Friday 20 February 2009      

Vaccine arrives in Southland for School based Cervical Cancer Immunisation Programme

Southland Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Management Services Ltd has now received the first batch of a vaccine aimed at protecting young women from cervical cancer in the lead up to rolling out its school-based immunisation programme from next week.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most commonly cause cervical cancer, provided that a young woman has not already been infected with those strains of the virus already.

The school-based HPV Immunisation Programme is being offered free to girls in school year 8 (approximately 12 years of age). A catch up programme for girls in years 9-13 will also be offered as part of the school based programme, this year for girls in years 12 and 13, with the remaining girls being offered it in 2010

PHO HPV Project Manager Diane Wilson said 600 doses of the vaccine, Gardasil, arrived at the PHO Management Services Building in Invercargill yesterday.

Ms Wilson said the HPV Immunisation Team Nurses will be holding regular immunisation clinics at participating schools in Southland (as well as Glenorchy, Arrowtown and Queenstown).

The vaccine, Gardasil, is given as a series of three injections over a six month period. Written consent from parents or caregivers is required for school girls under 16 years of age to receive the vaccine in schools, while girls aged 16 and over may complete and sign the consent form themselves.

The school based immunisation programme is an extension of the HPV Programme which began nationwide in 2008 for girls born in 1990 and 1991.

Students who would prefer not to be immunised at school can receive the free immunisation in Southland from their local practice nurse, doctor, the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) and the number 10 Youth Health Centre. Immunisations may also be provided by local Maori Health Services and Family Planning clinics in the future.
 
ENDS