PHO gives HPV vaccines to Capitol employees
THE Provincial Health Office (PHO) has opted to distribute some of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to Capitol female employees instead of waiting for the 1,705 ampules of returned vaccines to expire.
Child Care Nurse Coordinator Maria Lorraine Gimperoso of PHO said some of the vaccines will expire this June that’s why they decided to donate one dose of anti-cervical vaccines to around 100 female employees since March.
“We are doing this to save the vaccines,” she told Cebu Daily News.
The HPV vaccines given to employees are intended for Grade 4 female students or girls ages nine to 13 years old.
“Okay ra, rather than dili magamit (It is okay rather than the vaccines not being used). Kana kay na download naman na ug consider naman na siyang atong nahatag (already distributed),” PHO Head Dr. Rene Catan said.
He added that anyone interested, even if they are beyond the preferred age group, can avail of the anti-cervical cancer vaccine.
The returned vaccines were part of the 4,191 ampules distributed to the Rural Health Units (RHUs) from the towns of Argao, Borbon, Dumanjug, San Remigio, Santander and Carcar City.
Catan said some parents in the mentioned LGUs refused to have their children immunized with HPV because of the Dengvaxia controversy.
Because of the negative impact of the Dengvaxia, he said other immunization programs of the PHO were compromised.
He called on to parents to not be afraid with the HPV vaccination as this is a form of protection and recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Vaccination is an accepted program worldwide in order to avoid complications brought by infections,” he said in Cebuano.
Gimperoso added that there is an ongoing house to house measles immunization in Talisay City and Badian.
She added that their immunization programs for infants and pregnant women went on smoothly and that they are now preparing for the school-based immunization this August.
Meanwhile, Catan challenged the media to help them spread awareness on the positive effects of vaccinations as well as the dangers if children are not immunized. / (CNU) Intern Maejane Dungog
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