PARAMAIBO, Suriname - Suriname's government is urging parents to ensure that their children between the ages of nine and 13 years to be fully vaccinated against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
A school child being vaccinated as the nation wide HPV campiagn gets underway in Suriname (Photo CDS)“If you are able and the vaccine is available, let your child take the vaccine. Vaccinating is a wise but above all healthy decision,” said Health Minister, Amar Ramadhin at the start of the school vaccination campaign.
The National Immunization Programme of the Office for Public Health (BOG) is undertaking a a national HPV school vaccination campaign to ensure that more girls and now also boys are protected against HPV-related diseases, including cancer.
HPV is a common virus that can be transmitted through sexual or intimate contact. Scientific research has shown that the virus is responsible for a large proportion of different types of cancer in both women and men.
The cancers include cervical cancer, mouth and throat cancer, penile and labia cancer, as well as other cancers caused by sexual contact. The cancers can develop after a patient has been infected for a longer period of time – 10 to 15 years. The HPV vaccine can be given to girls and boys aged 9 to 13, before they are sexually active and could have been exposed to HPV.
The authorities here said the vaccines are a donation from Brazil and Ramadhin reiterated the importance of being vaccinated.
“It is a voluntary decision that you take as a parent to have your child vaccinated against the virus, which can be responsible for the development of cervical cancer and other forms of cancer later in life,” he added.
