Cuba continues vaccination campaign against the human papillomavirus

HOLGUIN, Cuba, November 11 (ACN) Approximately 4,000 nine-year-old girls will be immunized in the eastern province of Holguin in the coming days with the Cecolin vaccine for the prevention of the human papillomavirus (HPV).

The campaign began on Monday at vaccination centers set up in schools, polyclinics, and certified outlying areas, after being postponed due to conditions related to Hurricane Melissa's passage through the region.

Geanela Cruz, director of the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology, emphasized to the Cubna News Agency the prior training of medical and educational personnel for administering the vaccine, which will be part of the National Immunization System starting in 2025.

She indicated that Cecolin, of Chinese origin, is safe and no adverse reactions or interactions with other antigens have been reported, although the girls' condition will be monitored for one hour at the vaccination centers, and again at 24, 48 hours, and seven days by their family doctor and nurse.

The expert added that two fundamental steps in administering the drug are a prior medical examination and informed parental consent.

Therefore, it is essential to raise family awareness about its importance in preventing cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of death in Cuba. Cecolin uses recombinant technology, meaning it does not contain HPV viral DNA.

It is administered in approximately 194 countries with high efficacy and safety and is certified for use by the World Health Organization.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection caused by unprotected sex. It causes lesions in genital, anal, or oral areas and cellular changes that can trigger different types of cancer.

There are more than 630,000 new cases annually, representing five percent of all diagnoses, according to the World Health Organization.

In Cuba, a broad health promotion campaign is also underway, including talks in schools, dissemination of messages through the media, and distribution of informational brochures aimed at preventing HPV.