By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-11-06 11:26:55 | Updated at 2024-11-06 13:42:11
2 hours ago
Hong Kong will offer free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations to female residents aged between 16 and 20 to protect them against cervical cancer in a one-off initiative.
Authorities said on Wednesday the two-year scheme aimed to cover the 190,000 people born between 2004 and 2008 who were left out when the government started vaccinating all girls in Primary Five and Primary Six in 2019.
The first phase will begin next month.
The World Health Organization has recommended all countries provide the vaccines for HPV, which causes cervical cancer, for girls aged 9 to 14 before they become sexually active, as well as for older ones.
Cervical cancer is the seventh most common cancer among Hong Kong women, accounting for 3.1 per cent of new cases and leading to 2.8 per cent of cancer deaths in 2021.
Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said the move was a “mop-up” to further reduce the risk of women developing cervical cancer.
