City of Baixada Santista vaccinates students from the municipal network against HPV; find out more | More health

Between May 6th and 10th, Guarujá City Hall is promoting an action to vaccinate students from the municipal education system against HPV (acronym in English for Human Papillomavirus). The immunization strategy is a partnership between the Department of Health (Sesau) and the Department of Education (Seduc).

The target audience is made up of people between 9 and 14 years old. Despite this, students aged up to 19 who have not taken the second dose will also be able to get vaccinated.

For this year, the Ministry of Health changed the prevention strategy: previously there were two doses, now the dose will be a single dose. The first teaching unit covered will be Escola 1º de Maio, at Avenida Adriano Dias, 611, Jardim Esperança neighborhood. The city hall will also publish new schedules.

The campaign at Escola 1º de Maio will be led by the team from the Family Health Unit (Usafa) of Jardim Boa Esperança, with service during school hours.

First, professionals carry out an assessment of the vaccination status. If they need to regularize their card, they can also apply doses against Influenza and Meningitis (ACWY).

The service will take place during school hours. With the initiative, Sesau intends to expand HPV vaccination coverage in the city, which remains at 28% within the target audience.

To apply the vaccine, the minor must have authorization signed by their parents or guardians. The document is available at the school unit. In addition to the declaration, the child or adolescent must have a vaccination booklet, CPF or SUS Card.

HPV is a very common group of viruses. According to the Ministry of Health, it is associated with the development of almost all cervical cancer, as well as other tumors in men and women. It causes warts in the genital and anus region and cancer, depending on the type of virus. HPV infection is a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI).

In some cases, HPV can remain latent for months to years, without showing signs, or even manifest itself subclinically (not visible to the naked eye). Most infections, especially in adolescents, are resolved by the body itself within an approximate period of up to 24 months.

Vaccination is the most effective method of prevention. For people with a female reproductive system, the preventive exam or “Pap smear” is used to identify precursor lesions of cervical cancer. Another way to prevent this is by using a condom during sexual intercourse.