Health Unit to Begin Vaccinating in Schools on September 24
The Peterborough County-City Health Unit is expanding the free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) immunization program to protect more young women from this common cancer-causing virus.
Females born between 1994 and 1998, who missed the full (three-dose) course of the vaccine when they were in Grade 8, can now get the vaccine for free from the Health Unit.
“This is great news as public health nurses prepare to head into the schools on September 24 to start vaccinating students against Hepatitis B, meningococcal disease and HPV,” said Dr. Rosana Pellizzari, Medical Officer of Health. “Girls who missed their HPV shots in Grade 8 or who didn’t receive all three doses the first time around can now get it to protect themselves from cervical cancer for free as long as they have signed consent forms from their parents.”
Dr. Pellizzari emphasized that all three vaccines offered through the schools are not only free but extremely safe and are one of the best ways parents can protect their children from these serious diseases.
To find out when public health nurses will be visiting schools, please visit www.pcchu.ca and click on “School Vaccination Program 2012/13”.
All Grade 7 students will be eligible to receive vaccines to protect them against Hepatitis B, a disease that can cause permanent liver damage and cancer, and meningococcal disease, a serious infection of the blood and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Grade 8 girls and those born from 1994 and 1998 are entitled to receive the vaccine for protection against HPV, a virus that can lead to genital warts and cervical cancer. The Ontario government launched the free HPV vaccine program in 2007.
Public health nurses will be in schools giving immunizations throughout the fall so parents are strongly encouraged to return the consent forms to the schools so their students can receive the vaccine. For further information, please call the Health Unit at (705) 743-1000.
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