7th May 2019
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Alex Yam Ziming
Member of Parliament
Question No. 2768
To ask the Minister for Health with regard to the recently announced opt-in HPV vaccination (a) what has been the overall feedback received so far; (b) whether more can be done to address the misinformation regarding the medical and social effects of the vaccine; and (c) whether the Ministry is concerned by the mistrust engendered by the anti-vaccination movement.
Answer
1 HPB rolled-out the national school-based HPV vaccination programme for secondary 1 female students on 1 April 2019. As of 26 April 2019, 25 schools have been covered by the programme. 93% of the students in these schools have opted for the vaccine.
2 HPV vaccination has been shown to be safe and effective, and is recommended by the World Health Organization and leading health agencies for the prevention of cervical cancer, a serious disease and one of the top-10 cancers among women in Singapore.
3 MOH and HPB will continue to highlight the benefits, importance and safety of HPV vaccination to parents and students through public and targeted education programmes. Parents will also be provided with an information package prior to the school visit for vaccination. This includes a factsheet on HPV vaccination, a brochure on the risk and prevention of HPV, and a letter providing information on the HPV school-based programme.