Jigawa vaccinates 650,000 girls against HPV

The Jigawa Government says 65,000 girls have been vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus in the state.

This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary, Jigawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Kabir Ibrahim, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse on Friday.

He said the vaccination was aimed at preventing young girls aged nine to 14 years from cervical cancer.

Ibrahim explained that the exercise was conducted simultaneously across the 27 local government areas of the state between Tuesday and Friday.

The permanent secretary added that mop-up would be conducted to reach those who missed the vaccine during the four-day exercise.

NAN reports that the Federal Government launched the HPV vaccine initiative on Tuesday for girls between the ages of nine and 14 years to guard against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70 per cent of cervical cancer.

The vaccination targets over seven million girls, with the girls receiving a single dose of the vaccine.

NAN also reports that UNICEF had earlier sensitised religious and traditional leaders and other stakeholders in the state on the importance of the vaccine and the dangers of cervical cancer.

SOURCE: PUNCH

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