The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has provided reassurance to Nigerians about the safety of the human papillomavirus vaccine.
This statement followed the vaccine rollout by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the President, and was made during a conversation with the press after his courtesy visit to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos House in Marina on Wednesday.
“HPV vaccine is 100 per cent safe,” the minister said, adding, “This is a vaccine that has been in existence for about 18 years now, and Nigeria is late to adopt this vaccine.”
He noted that Nigeria has about 8,000 women “dying from cervical cancer” today, stressing that “this vaccine will prevent cervical cancer by 95 per cent.”
He urged the encouragement of girls aged nine to 15 to receive the vaccine, highlighting that certain countries are already providing the vaccine to women as old as 45 years.
“It is a safe vaccine. We should encourage all our young girls between the ages of nine and 15 years to get this vaccine. In fact, in other parts of the world, the HPV vaccine has been expanded to (be administered to women) as old as 45 years.
“It saves lives, it prevents cancer. This is one of the preventive things we could do to help our healthcare system,” he said.
Alausa added, “So, let me emphatically say it again: HPV vaccine, human papillomavirus vaccine is 100 per cent safe. I’m a physician. I’m a father. I have a daughter and she got the vaccine when she was 13 years old and that was about 13 years ago.
“So, I’m putting my mouth where my money is; HPV vaccine is safe. Please, discount any ignorant, uneducated social media information you get. HPV vaccine is safe.”
