Antipolo City strengthens its immunization efforts to protect children and adolescents from vaccine-preventable diseases through the School-Based Immunization (SBI) Program recently kicked off at Bagong Nayon IV Elementary School.
Themed, “Back to BakUNA: Una sa Lahat, BakUNA,” the SBI Program of the Department of Health—Center for Health Development CALABARZON in partnership with the Department of Education and the Antipolo City government highlighted the role of parents in fortifying the health shield of their children through timely vaccination against diseases.
The SBI Program includes measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria (MR-TD), and human papillomavirus vaccines that are administered to eligible students in public elementary schools. The inclusion of HPV vaccination in the SBI Program aims to protect young women from cervical cancer later in life, among other diseases associated with HPV.
Under the DOH’s SBI Program, HPV vaccination is given to grade 4 based on DOH’s recommended age group to receive the two doses of HPV vaccine, six months apart, for protection against cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Filipino women, next to breast cancer. Over 7,000 new cases of cervical cancer are recorded every year in the Philippines. Of these cases, close to 4,000 lead to death, according to the DOH.
HPV is primarily transmitted through skin-to-skin contact or sexual activity. It is extremely common that most people can get infected by the virus shortly after the onset of sexual activity. Most HPV infections clear up on their own, but there is still the risk that the infection may become chronic, and pre-cancerous lesions may later develop into cervical cancer.
Antipolo City councilors Enrico de Guzman and Susan Say led the kick-off of the program that aimed to boost the health services of the local government and deepen understanding of the value of immunization among students, parents, and teachers.
Vaccines have been proven as one of the most successful health interventions, second to clean water, in greatly reducing the burden of infectious diseases.
In the case of cervical cancer, the disease is usually diagnosed in its late stages, when the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body, making it more difficult to treat. Hence, immunization was identified as an optimal strategy in conquering HPV and the prevalence of cervical cancer.
