Parents who do not know enough about HPV should take the opportunity to get the vaccine | am730

The Hong Kong Childhood Immunization Program has launched an HPV vaccination program for primary five and primary six girls starting from the 2019/2020 school year The Department of Health also recently announced that they will launch one-time HPV vaccine catch-up program for girls born in 2004 or later vaccines are free. However, a study by the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong found that parents of primary school students do not know enough about HPV, which could affect their children’s future health. .

Zhu Guopei, a senior lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacology at the University of Hong Kong, said the study found that parents usually do not know enough about HPV “In terms of the transmission route, 40 % of parents believe that HPV is transmitted through blood, or misunderstand that their children are not at high risk of infection In fact, HPV is transmitted through sexual contact, 70% of parents do not know that there are signs there after being infected with HPV, or mistakenly believe that the diseases caused by HPV can be easily detected; when asked about the risk of cancer, although more than half know that it can cause breast cancer, But for oropharyngeal cancer, anal cancer and penile cancer, less than 10% of the answers These misconceptions can affect influence parents’ decision to vaccinate their children with HPV.”

Educate your parents publicly

Another finding from the survey is that only 4.9% of parents said their daughters had received the HPV vaccine, while data from the Center for Health Protection said the school’s vaccination rate that year was 85%. Zhu Guopei believes that one of the reasons for the gap may be that parents have not read the relevant vaccine advertisements carefully. I think there needs to be more education for parents.” Some public education does not require a lot of manpower and material resources. Specific messages can be sent out on the parent communication platforms of some schools to explain the HPV vaccine to deepen parents’ understanding of the HPV vaccine In addition, parents can also open e-Health accounts for their children so that vaccination records can be viewed there in the future.

Boys are also at risk of infection

In many places, HPV vaccine is translated as “cervical cancer vaccine.” Zhu Guopei believes that it must be corrected, women are equally at risk of diseases, which lead to various cancers. in various aspects, including efficacy data related to tests, etc., and should focus on girls first in the future, we hope to vaccinate boys so that for them to also take the initiative to prevent HPV.”

The sooner you get vaccinated, the better

The current 9-valent HPV vaccine can protect against nine higher-risk types of HPV. reduce your vaccine. Zhu Guopei continued, “The current recommendation is that children can be vaccinated from the age of 9. We hope that children can take preventive measures before they have sexual contact and are there the risk of HPV infection. the plan is a good plan, I hope parents will understand the importance and allow their daughters to take additional injections.”

The HPV vaccination program will be carried out in three stages Starting from December 2 this year, full-time female students studying in Form 5 or above of local high schools will receive the vaccine first. ‘ first quarter of next year, targeting those born between 2004 and 2008. , Hong Kong female residents studying in Hong Kong post-secondary colleges or universities will begin third grade in the first half of next year, and women from Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 who have completed local examinations will be vaccinated against HPV.

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