The Enugu State Government, on Friday, appealed to the mass media to support the state in creating massive awareness on Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination introduction in the state.
Mrs Ukamaka Nsude, State Health Educator in Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), made the appeal while interacting with a cross section of journalists from various media houses in Enugu.
Nsude said that the free inject-able HPV vaccine would be given to female children between the ages of nine and 14 years in order to protect them from cervical cancer for life.
She said that the mass media remained a critical stakeholder to the success of any vaccination campaign in the state, especially the forthcoming statewide HPV vaccination.
“We will need your time, expertise and whole-hearted buy-in into the new vaccine, the HPV vaccine, to be introduced by the state government.
“We are also looking at the use of various mass media platforms to create the needed and enduring awareness on vaccination, which might tentatively be rolled out in September,” she said.
Nsude, who is a Director in ENS-PHCDA, called on the mass media to be alert and ready to use their platforms to counter any myth and misinformation that might arise from the residents about the vaccine.
“The new HPV vaccine remains safe, effective and efficient with no side effect on the adolescents that will receive the vaccine,” she said.
Nsude said that the ENS-PHCDA would also be engaging expanded stakeholders within some weeks as well as ward health focal persons in its work-plan in order to build a strong synergise for the campaign.
He said: “This is to get necessary massive, rural and one-on-one awareness among mothers, other family members, community and religious leaders as well as female adolescents on the vaccine.
“The age groups between nine and 14 are usually found in schools, churches, mosques, markets, playgrounds, motor parks and public places,” she added.
