Girls aged nine to 12 will be vaccinated against cervical cancer at schools from March 7.

The vaccine roll-out, in two doses, is to combat the high rates of cervical cancer — with one in 26 South African women dying of cervical cancer, a preventable disease.

Additionally HIV positive women are developing deadly cervical cancer at a much younger age.

To address parents’ concerns about their girls getting vaccinated at school, The Times spoke to the experts.

The vaccine will be administered at poorer schools at state expense but is not being offered at wealthier former model C schools, where parents are urged to go to their GP for a vaccine.

The vaccine is usually given three doses in the private sector but will be offered at schools in two doses, making it slightly more affordable.

Q: “Do two doses instead of 3 currently given in private sector work?”

Head of Gynaecologic Oncology at the University of Pretoria Greta Dreyer said: “The vaccine is effective in two shots in young women. We are very confident that this is an excellent way to go. Some studies have even shown a single shot to be effective”.

UCT head of Gynaecology Prof Lynne Denny: “Yes, the two makers of the vaccines have filed for two versus three doses to be accepted by the Food and Drug Administration in the USA”.

Q: How is the government affording this? Doses in the private sector are roughly than R800 each.

Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute director Helen Rees said the government had negotiated lower prices for the vaccine .

Q: Is it safe?

Yes.

Stellenbosch’s Prof Hennie Botha said: “Both vaccines were tested extensively before registration. After the commercial launch, millions of doses have been given to children in national school-based vaccination programmes in the UK, Australia and many other countries“.

Prof Helen Rees: “More than 174 million doses have been given worldwide and safety data monitored. There are no side effects“.

Q: Can it be rolled out at schools as the government plans to do:

University of Pretoria from Gynaecologic Oncology Unit Leon Snyman said: “Doing this as a school-based programme makes a lot of sense, as it has been shown to be the most effective model resulting in the highest uptake rates and highest completion rates“.

“We vaccinated more than 1000 girls in Tshwane as part of the Vaccine and Cervical Cancer Project. Completion rate for 3 doses was 83% and 89% received 2 doses six months apart.

“An estimated 9 to 10 women die every day from cervical cancer in South Africa. We have an obligation to do something to prevent this.”