2009 News
Local Health Departments in South Central Incubator Launch HPV Vaccine Campaign:
On June 1st, as families prepare for the beginning of summer, four South Central Incubator counties are launching an HPV vaccine campaign as part of the HPV Vaccine Project. With the message, “Vaccinate today. Protect her tomorrow,” the campaign encourages mothers to take action against cervical cancer by getting their adolescent daughter ages 11-12 vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) – a common virus that can cause cervical cancer.
Health departments and local health care providers, in Cumberland, Harnett, Richmond and Robeson counties, will promote the HPV Vaccine Project through posters and brochures in English and Spanish displayed in offices, retail businesses and community agencies throughout the 4 counties. For additional information about the HPV vaccine and where to get it, parents should speak with their daughter’s health care provider or the local health department. They can also get detailed information about the vaccine and where to get it on the campaign website at www.HPVvaccineproject.org or can call the NC Family Health Resource Line toll-free at 1-800-367-2229.
“Effective childhood immunizations have been one of the key reasons that life expectancy and quality of life have dramatically increased over the past century,” says Bill Smith, Director of the Robeson County Health Department. “Given the high rates of cervical cancer in our area, the HPV vaccination efforts should help us continue to move along the line of positive health outcomes. With almost total protection for two types of HPV at very little cost for most females under age 19, we now have an opportunity to help prevent 70% of all cervical cancers. This should be a compelling reason for participating.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6.2 million men and women are infected with HPV every year. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Most new infections occur in the 15-24 year old age group. For the best protection against the virus, doctors recommend routine vaccination of girls age 11-12 prior to exposure to the virus.
The HPV vaccine is safe and it works. It has been widely studied in thousands of girls and women in the U.S. and around the world. The most common side effects are redness and soreness around the injection site. The vaccine is given as a series of 3 shots over a 6-month period. The best protection is achieved after all three shots are given. The vaccine has been approved by the FDA for use in girls and young women ages 9-26.
“Both my grandmothers were dead from cervical cancer before they were 40 years old,” shares Dr. Robert Earnest, Medical Director of Robeson Child Health Plus at the Robeson County Health Department. “I never knew either one of them and this has always filled me with sadness especially as I watch my granddaughter interact with my wife—her grandmother. To think that the next generation of women could never be faced with the tragedy of most cervical cancer is really a personal thing with me. I can’t encourage young girls and their parents to get this vaccine strongly enough.”
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The campaign is supported by the South Central North Carolina Partnership for Public Health (SCPPH) - 13 county health departments working together voluntarily to address pressing public health issues through sharing best practices and resources. The 13 counties are: Anson, Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland.
Research and practice partners of the HPV Vaccine Project include the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the North Carolina Division of Public Health and several local organizations.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT CAMPAIGN:
DOWNLOAD HPV VACCINE PROJECT CAMPAIGN SUMMARY(pdf)