Information from Deirdre Lane, Public Health Nurse
Dear Principal,
The Laura Brennan catch up program for Human Papilloma Virus(HPV) vaccine has expanded to offer HPV vaccine to boys/males up to and including the age of 21 years. These boys were in school when the vaccine was introduced for first years in 2019 but it was not available to boys in higher school years at the time.
Boys, currently in sixth year, who were in 2nd year in 2019 did not get access to this vaccine. They can now get it, free of charge, through this catch up program. All other boys in the school currently and all female students will have been offered it in first year. If they did not avail of it at the time they too can get this vaccine now.
Laura Brennan campaigned to make this vaccine available to all as she herself battled a terminal illness caused by this virus. The Human Papiloma virus (HPV) can cause, anal, penal cancers, genital warts and throat and neck cancers in males. In women it can cause, anal, cervical cancer and genital warts and also neck and throat cancers. The HPV 9 vaccine, in a single dose, gives protection to boys and girls against HPV.
In her memory, until December 31st, this vaccine is being made available to females up to 24 years of age who missed out on this vaccine and now also to males until 21 years of age.
Please can you forward on this information and the above attachment to all parents of children in your school. We, the school team will continue to visit schools to provide the HPV vaccine along with the MenACWY and Tdap vaccines to first years. However parents of first year children may have older children who missed out and would now like to avail of this very effective and important vaccine.
We are running a clinic through the Laura Brennan catch up program, on Wednesday 6th of December in Newbridge Health Centre, Henry Street, Eircode W12KV12 2.00-4.00pm. Registration is available through www.hpv.ie . It would be useful to share this information with your 4th, 5th and 6th year students who are eligible to consent for vaccines themselves from the age of 16 years.
This catch up program finishes in December and vaccines will only be available for first year students after this through national vaccine programs. HPV vaccine is safe and effective .
If you have any difficulty registering for this vaccine you can contact our office 045920629, 920635., or attend Newbridge health Centre on the day.
Letter from Minister re Boys Vaccines.pdf
Kind regards,
Deirdre Lane
Public Health Nurse
School Immunisation Team,
Kildare West Wicklow
0863880863