PUCHONG: Some 700,000 female students in 2021 up to this year who have yet to be vaccinated will be administered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine by the end of this school session, says the Health Ministry.
Its deputy minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said this backlog was caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in a global shortage of HPV vaccines.
“The ministry has intensified the implementation of HPV catch-up immunisation activities for students who have not received any HPV immunisation before leaving school.
“We have a supply of 802,000 doses, which means we have enough for the remaining students listed in our records.
“The students, 719,236 in total, will be vaccinated before the end of this school session in February 2025,” he said yesterday.
Lukanisman was speaking at a press conference for the soft launch of the catch-up HPV Immunisation Programme for Form One to Form Four students at SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1.
Also present was health deputy director-general (public health) Datuk Dr Norhayati Rusli.
