'Amazing' cancer-preventing HPV vaccination rates on the rise at London schools
The Middlesex London Health Unit says rates were higher still, pre-pandemic
An increasing number of Grade 7 students in the London region have received vaccinations this year for a virus that doctors say can prevent certain types of cancer.
School nurses are currently making the rounds of schools to immunize against the human papillomavirus, commonly referred to as HPV.
The first dose, administered in the fall to boys and girls, saw 63 per cent of Grade 7 students, more than 3,600 youth, roll up their sleeves, according to the Middlesex London Health Unit (MLHU). The year before, 58 per cent of students, 309 fewer, received the vaccination.
"What we're seeing is a return to vaccine uptake in schools. As we're able to provide more of a presence in schools, and catchup clinics, we're seeing HPV doses going up, back to pre-pandemic levels," said Dr. Alex Summers, chief medical officer of health at MLHU.
"We're not quite there but we're getting close," he added.
HPV is a virus that's most commonly transmitted through sexual activity, which is why health units try to vaccinate youth before they're sexually active.
The virus can cause everything from warts to more serious cell mutations, depending on the strain, Summers said. Some strains can lead to cervical cancers.
"Getting vaccinated can prevent cancers. How amazing is it to have a vaccine that can prevent cancers," he said.
Ontario's program for a free HPV vaccine covers boys and girls beginning in Grade 7, until the end of high school. After that, the vaccine can be purchased privately with a prescription.
Last year, a London college student tried lobbying the Ontario government to cover the cost of the vaccine for everyone, noting that she was quoted approximately $600 for two doses. She has not been successful.
The MLHU provides immunizations at its Citi Plaza offices, and healthcare providers also offer it. The health unit said that the number of youth who have received the vaccine could be higher than school data indicates.