Westmoreland Health Officer Urges Parents to Get Children the HPV Vaccine

Parents across Westmoreland are being urged to have their children immunised against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), with health officials pointing out that the shot can shield young people from a range of cancers and other illnesses in adulthood. The recommendation applies to boys and girls between nine and 14 years old.

The call came from Medical Officer of Health for Westmoreland, Dr. Marcia Graham, who spoke recently during the monthly sitting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation. She explained that a single dose is now available for children within that age band, regardless of whether they are boys or girls.

“One dose can protect against future cervical cancer, genital warts, and even cancer of the genital area, so we want us to take care of our children and make sure we give them the opportunity to be protected against future cancer and other diseases,” she urged.

Health authorities advise that the HPV vaccine be given before children come into contact with the virus, and it is regarded as among the strongest defences against cervical cancer and several other cancers linked to HPV.

Dr. Graham also pressed parents to take advantage of this summer's school medical examinations, so that their children's shots are current ahead of the coming school year.

“Summer means [back to] school medicals. We congratulate all the students who graduated. Some are going from primary to high school, others are going from basic to primary school, and as we do the medicals, we are encouraging everyone to make sure that you bring in the child's immunisation card, so that we can ensure that they are adequately protected against vaccine-preventable diseases,” she said.

She appealed to parents to treat their children's wellbeing as a top concern over the break by keeping the scheduled medical appointments and completing all recommended vaccinations before classes resume.