Wirral parents, schools and children praised for success of HPV vaccination programme

Oct 29 2008 by Sue McCann, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL’S immunisation co-ordinator, Dr Christine Comer, has praised parents, schools and children for the “phenomenal” success of the current HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination programme involving 2,000 12 and 13 year-old girls.

By week four of the vaccination schedule, school nurses had already recorded an 88% uptake in the first wave of schools scheduled into the programme.

Dr Comer said: “We are delighted with the way this programme is going. It has been a phenomenal success to date and we hope it continues to be so.

“We have been very impressed by the efficiency of the schools and the co-operation of parents and pupils.”

Lead school nurse Sue Edwards, who heads up a team of more than 30 school nurses, said the programme was running extremely smoothly – the result of careful planning, and the co-operation of schools and most parents.

She added: “Parents know the facts. They’re aware that this vaccine will help protect their daughters against strains of the human papillomavirus which cause about 70% of all cervical cancer.

“Year 8 girls who missed the opportunity because of illness on the day will be given another opportunity and for those parents who haven’t yet returned the consent form to school, there is still time to have their daughters protected against this virus.

“No Year 8 girl will be given the vaccine without parental permission.”

Immunisation involves three injections given over a period of six months. Over the next three years the vaccine will also be offered to other girls aged 13 to 18, starting this year with girls aged 17 to 18.

Parents or carers wanting more information on the HPV vaccination programme should contact their daughter’s school nurse via school.