By Jude Michael
There is every indication that the objective of introducing Human Papilloma Virus, HPV, Vaccination, into a routine immunization in Anambra State, will take a long period of time to be realized despite early sensitization campaign by the government.
This is coming from the responses of parents, school heads, and Christian religious leaders, who spoke to our reporter that went around schools in Awka metropolis recently to ascertain the progress of the HPV immunization in the area.
The religious leaders and the school heads include the Priest in Charge of St Peter’s Anglican Church, Amawbia, Ven Vin Nkemdilim; the Principal, Girls’ Secondary School, Amaenyi Awka, Dr Ndidi Okeke; the Principal, National Secondary School, Awka, Mr Christian Ebe; among others.
The Ven Nkemdilim said the leaders of the Church around St Peter’s Anglican Church, Amawbia, and schools managed by the Church did not want to comply with the HPV vaccination exercise because of the propaganda staged against it.
‘We don’t want anything that will bring about scandals against the Church or the schools managed by the Church.
‘So we decided that if such exercise will be carried out, it’ll be between the parents of the children and the officials in charge of the exercise, but not we, the Management of the Church and schools within the Church,’ the Anglican cleric said.
At Girls’ Secondary School, Amaenyi, Awka, a larger number of the students would not make themselves available for the vaccine.
The School Principal, Dr Ndidi Okeke, said the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency had visited the school to sensitize the students about the vaccine after which they were told to inform their parents about the vaccination exercise.
Though the Principal stated that the health workers that administered the vaccine had not visited the school for the vaccination as at press time, she had sent text messages to the parents of the students concerning the vaccination.
‘Many of them (parents) privately chatted me and said that their children will not be part of it.
‘So what I’m intending to do is that the day they (health workers) will come, those whose parents permit to take the vaccine will do so and those whose parents said no will be directed to step aside,’ Dr Okeke said.
At National Secondary School, Awka, which has a good number of the target group for the immunization exercise, the tale was not different.
The School Principal, Mr Christian Ebe, explained that the publicity for the immunization exercise was adequately carried out by the representative of the State Ministry of Education who led a team of health workers from the State Ministry of Health to the school.
‘The students were well informed about the virus and we asked them to pass the message across their parents.
‘We also asked them to get the permission of their parents so that the day the health workers would come for the immunization proper their parents’ approval might have been gotten.
‘We didn’t end there; we tried as much as possible to reach some of the parents, telling them the need for the immunization.
‘But it was disheartening that the day the immunization took place, many of the students who were part of the enlightenment campaign couldn’t make themselves available for the vaccine.
‘Many of them came up with a lot of stories. Some said their parents told them the vaccine was not good for their health.
‘Some others gave instances of messages that were circulating in the social media, trying to inform them of the side effects of the said vaccine.
‘This was exactly what instilled fear into the parents, leading them to withdraw their approval for the students to take the vaccine,’ Mr Ebe noted.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Health Educator, Lady Uju Onwuegbuzina, has continued to appeal to the education stakeholders, the religious and community leaders, as well as caregivers in the state, to join hands with the government and the World Health Organization to save and protect young female children in the state from cervical cancer.
The Health Educator maintained that the vaccine was safe; otherwise the state government would not have been proud and bold to involve the Christian Association of Nigeria, Anambra State Association of Town Unions, among others, in the campaign for the immunization.
She argued that no one came to depopulate anyone or make their children to be promiscuous.
‘Why we engage those of them within ages 9 and 14 years, is for them to be protected earlier from cervical cancer before they become sexually active.
‘And HPV vaccine is not new. It’s been there for decades; people have been taking it.
‘If 90% of our children (within the target age range) receive it, we achieve what’s called herd immunity. When the virus comes, it’ll not see where to occupy,’ Lady Onwuegbuzina said.
She explained that the vaccination had entered into what she called a routinization, which means that those children who were not captured in schools, communities, and churches due to rumours, can visit any primary healthcare centre, general hospital; including all health facilities offering a routine immunization in the state, to take the vaccine.
