FEMALE ADOLESCENTS AGED 13 AND 14 YEARS TO BE GIVEN HPV VACCINE JABS NEXT YEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Female adolescents aged 13 and 14 years who have yet to be given the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer will be vaccinated through the school health service next year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Health Minister II Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said the vaccination would be carried out after the vaccine supply was procured in 2022, as HPV vaccines could not be administered in 2020 and this year due to constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Health Ministry (MoH) is now implementing the requisition for tender on supply of HPV (vaccine) injection; the requisition is still at the evaluation stage,” he added.

He was replying to a question from Nurul Izzah Anwar (PH-Permatang Pauh) who asked about the government’s commitment to ensure that all students aged 13 and 14 years who missed HPV vaccination would be given the vaccine soon.

To a supplementary question from Nurul Izzah on whether the government was prepared to give the HPV vaccine to boys aged 13 and 14 years, he said the government had yet to implement a policy to vaccinate male adolescents.

Aaron also said for cervical cancer screening using the HPV DNA, MoH was targeting all local women aged between 30 and 65 who have had sexual relations, have not undergone HPV tests or pap smear tests for a period of more than three years for screening at health clinics.

— BERNAMA