HPV vaccine safe, minister assures Nigerians

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, has assured Nigerians that the human papillomavirus vaccine, which was rolled out on Tuesday by the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is safe.

Alausa gave the assurance while speaking to newsmen shortly after his courtesy call on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the Lagos House, 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 appealed that girls between the ages of nine and 15 years should be encouraged to take the vaccine, adding that some countries are already administering the vaccine to women up to 45 years old.

“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.”