220,000 Girls aged 9 to 14 in Enugu State Receive HPV Vaccination – Dr. Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku

Between Oct. 24 and Oct. 29, Enugu State successfully vaccinated 220,000 girls aged 9 to 14 against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), resulting in a coverage rate of 66 percent. This vaccination campaign targeted schools, worship centres, and other public places where girls within the specified age range were present.

HPV can be transmitted through sexual contact, often without any symptoms appearing in carriers. Possible symptoms include the presence of warts on the genitals or surrounding skin. Warts may disappear on their own, as there is currently no cure for the virus.

Both boys and girls are recommended to receive the vaccine, which can prevent HPV from causing genital warts and cervical cancer.

Dr. Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, the Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, expressed satisfaction with the HPV vaccination campaign’s success rate of over 66 percent, considering that it is a newly introduced vaccine.

Enugu State has received approximately 244,000 vials of the HPV vaccine, and as a result, we have successfully vaccinated 220,000 girls. This achievement represents a success rate of over 66 percent, which is highly commendable for a new vaccine.

Our goal by 2024 is to ensure that every girl between the ages of 9 and 14 receives the vaccination, with a target of immunizing up to 90 percent of them. We understand that there was initial resistance to the vaccine due to its newness, but we are pleased that we were able to convince the public of its safety and effectiveness.

As the vaccination campaign in schools and public places has concluded, we have now integrated the HPV vaccine into routine immunization programs at Primary Healthcare Centers.