Cuba advances in vaccination against Human Papillomavirus

MATANZAS, Cuba, January 2 (ACN) With 83 % coverage to date, the vaccination of nine-year-old girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer, among other diseases, is progressing in the Cuban western province of Matanzas.

According to information provided to the Cuban News Agency by Berta M. Bello Rodriguez, provincial deputy director of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 2,708 out of a total of 3,232 children have already received the bivalent Cecolin vaccine, while 524 remain pending for various reasons.

Among the reasons for not being immunized are 248 girls who have not yet turned nine, who will be vaccinated in January, once the school year resumes, as well as 127 who were ill and are awaiting recovery before receiving the vaccine, the specialist explained.

Bello Rodriguez also noted that there are 80 girls whose parents or legal guardians are refusing to have them vaccinated, an issue on which they are reinforcing their work in the community to increase awareness about the benefits and safety of the vaccine.

As part of post-vaccination surveillance, no adverse reactions have been reported so far, either in the first hour after immunization or in the following days, which supports its safety and effectiveness, the doctor commented.

According to sources consulted in the national press, October 27 marked the beginning of the HPV vaccination campaign in Cuba, which will run until January 31 and will include the administration of 68,000 doses of the vaccine.

The implementation of this campaign, based on criteria of equity, quality, and sustainability, strengthens the capacity of the health system to reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases and reaffirms the country's commitment to public health and the protection of future generations.