HPV vaccination resumes for Form 1 female students

PUTRAJAYA: After supply disruptions, Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are back in stock and will be given to Form 1 female students, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

The Health Minister said HPV vaccination for Form 1 students had to be postponed in 2021, due to a global supply disruption of HPV vaccines.

“However, the ministry has procured 100,000 doses of HPV vaccines in December 2022 and the vaccine is now on the field,” she said.

“Hence, the ministry will start dispensing the vaccine to Form 1 female students this year,” she added.

HPV vaccines are given to prevent cervical cancer.

Last year, the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) said some 500,000 teenage girls could have missed their HPV vaccines from 2020 to 2022.

This was attributed to the closure of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic and the diversion of funds to Covid-19 programmes.

Then Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, said in September last year that the ministry would also come up with a catch-up programme to cover those who missed their vaccination.