{"id":68698,"date":"2023-11-02T16:14:58","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T16:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotcelebon.com\/?p=68698"},"modified":"2023-11-02T16:14:58","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T16:14:58","slug":"urgent-call-on-parents-to-make-sure-their-teens-get-life-saving-cancer-jab-is-your-child-eligible-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotcelebon.com\/lifestyle\/urgent-call-on-parents-to-make-sure-their-teens-get-life-saving-cancer-jab-is-your-child-eligible-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Urgent call on parents to make sure their teens get life-saving cancer jab – is your child eligible? | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

PARENTS are being urged to make sure their teenagers have received a life-saving cancer jab, after coverage plummeted during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Two doses of HPV vaccine is offered to all 12 and 13-year-olds in school years 8 and 9.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The jab helps prevent a range of\u00a0cancers, such as\u00a0cervical cancer, cancers of the\u00a0head and neck\u00a0(mouth and throat), and\u00a0cancers of the anus\u00a0and\u00a0genital areas.<\/p>\n

However, the latest Government data suggests coverage of the HPV\u00a0vaccine\u00a0fell by seven per cent from 2021 to 2022 compared to the previous academic year.<\/p>\n

The charity\u00a0Oral Health Foundation\u00a0fears many teens who didn't get the jab could be at higher risk of the disease.<\/p>\n

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the charity, said: "The pandemic led to mass disruption for school vaccination programmes, so please check that your child is up to date and received their HPV dose.<\/p>\n

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"If you are not sure, or if you think they missed out, please contact their school.<\/p>\n

"It's a life-saving vaccination, and they must be protected."<\/p>\n

Sexually-transmitted virus is leading cause of cancers<\/h2>\n

HPV is linked to five per cent of all cancers and is a leading cause of mouth cancer and cervical cancer.<\/p>\n

The disease is sexually transmitted, but – because it does not tend to cause symptoms or problems – most people do not even know they have it.<\/p>\n

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There are about 200 different strains of HPV, most of which are harmless and resolve on their own.<\/p>\n

But two strains – HPV16 and HPV18 – can trigger various types of cancer including genital,\u00a0cervical,\u00a0head, neck, throat and mouth\u00a0cancer.<\/p>\n

Dr Nigel added: "HPV is a leading cause of mouth cancer, a disease which has seen the number of cases double over the last generation.<\/p>\n

"The best form of protection against HPV is the vaccination, which, to be effective, should happen before a person becomes sexually active."<\/p>\n

Is your child eligible for life-saving jab?<\/h2>\n

Girls have been offered the jab since 2008, while boys were\u00a0added to the programme\u00a0in 2019 in the hope that HPV-related cancer cases would fall dramatically in the future.<\/p>\n

New data collected by the Oral Health Foundation and Portman-Dentex suggests that awareness and confidence around the HPV vaccine in the UK are improving.<\/p>\n

Around one in five (19 per cent) adults now know HPV is a cause of mouth cancer.<\/p>\n

And one in four (24 per cent) understand that the virus is passed on during sexual activity.<\/p>\n

Awareness of HPV and its relationship to mouth cancer has almost doubled over recent years.<\/p>\n

The study involving 2,000 people also shows that confidence in the HPV vaccine has improved by around 20 per cent in the last year alone.<\/p>\n

Catherine Tannahill, a dentist at Portman-Dentex, said: "The vaccine programme has been running into the UK for 15 years.<\/p>\n

"It has potentially saved millions of lives, and there's a wealth of robust evidence of its effectiveness in protecting a person from HPV-related cancers and diseases.<\/p>\n

"I have seen the devastating effect that HPV mouth cancer has on a person's life, so I would encourage all parents to make sure their child is vaccinated."<\/p>\n

Rachel Parsons, a mother from Coventry, was diagnosed with suspected HPV mouth cancer after noticing a lump in her mouth.<\/p>\n

All her children have since received the HPV vaccination.<\/p>\n

Rachel says: "I wanted my boy vaccinated so he would have the same protection. I didn't want any of them to go through what I did.<\/p>\n

"It's not about sleeping with a lot of people; HPV can stay dormant for years. You must explain what it really is.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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"Young people can be more vulnerable, but it's not always contracted through sex by being promiscuous.<\/p>\n

"The HPV vaccine is important. If anyone can get it, they should go for it. No one should go through what I did."<\/p>\n

What to do if you child missed the jab<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0HPV vaccine\u00a0programme is offered to all children in school Year 8, when they are aged 12 to 13.<\/p>\n

If you missed getting vaccinated when you were 12 or 13, the HPV vaccine is available for free on the NHS for:<\/p>\n