Highschoolers on the Island can get the HPV vaccine in the next few weeks.
Island Health announced on Friday that some of their nurses will be visiting schools across the region, offering the vaccine to those in grades 11 and 12. The vaccine is to protect people from human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted infection that can cause cancer for the cervix, mouth, and throat, as well as warts.
Medical Health Officer Dr. Christina Kay says the nurses will give vaccines to those who didn’t get vaccinated in the past.
“When given at a young age, the HPV vaccine is nearly 100 per cent effective at preventing infection of the most common types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer, other cancers, and genital warts,” said Kay.
The health authority says this comes as an average 55 percent of children in Grade 6 got the vaccine in 2023, with 47 percent from the North Island, 53.9 percent for central Vancouver Island, and 65 percent for South Vancouver Island.
For this year, they will send letters to students, parents and caregivers, letting them know of their upcoming school immunizations.
The vaccine will be offered in January and February, but if you miss getting vaccinated in school, Island Health recommends getting vaccinated at your local pharmacy, public health unit, or community care centre.
