Growing up in Singapore, the annual health screening is always something to look forward to in school. You get to miss class, and also find out if you’ve grown in the last year. Jokes aside, there are also health programmes, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, which the Health Promotion Board has been offering to Secondary 1 girls since 2019.
To raise awareness on and prevent cervical cancer, the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) and Temasek Foundation have launched the HPV Immunisation Programme, which aims to provide HPV vaccinations at no cost to eligible Singaporean females. Read on to find out more about this new initiative, which will be available till 30 October 2022.
In Singapore, there are various subsidies that assist communities in need. ICYMI, the Vaccination and Childhood Development Screening Subsidies (VCDSS) is one such subsidy. It allows eligible Singaporeans to receive vaccinations under the National Childhood Immunisation (NCIS) and National Adult Immunisation Schedule (NAIS) at a subsidised rate.
Enter the Temasek Foundation HPV Immunisation Programme in partnership with Singapore Cancer Society, which complements existing programmes by MOH to educate females on cervical cancer, and about the importance of the HPV vaccination.
As part of the programme, eligible Singaporean females from low-income backgrounds can receive the HPV 2 (Cervarix) Vaccination at no cost, instead of the usual $23 per dose ‒ thanks to the S$2 million funding by Temasek Foundation.
These females have to be unvaccinated and between the ages of 18 to 26, or those aged 27 to 45 who have already received their first dose before the age of 26. They will also have to hold a valid Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) orange or blue card before booking their HPV vaccination appointments at participating CHAS General Practitioner clinics.
Apart from providing subsidised HPV vaccinations, the programme also aims to raise the take-up rate for vaccination among females aged 18 to 45 years old. In the long run, they also hope to eradicate cervical cancer among Singaporean women.
Aside from the vaccination covering health concerns, eligible females will also feel relieved knowing that they can use their MediSave for other health screenings.
Cervical cancer may not affect everyone, but it is good to let all your female friends know that it is one of the most preventable cancers. For the unacquainted, it is the 10th most common cancer affecting women in Singapore.
The HPV 2 (Cervarix) Vaccination provides protection against HPV types 16 and 18, which accounts for 70% of all cervical cancers. It is beneficial for all women, and recognised as the key prevention against cervical cancer, especially for young females before their first sexual experience.
SCS recommends that girls get the vaccine as young as possible for better protection. Rest assured that you can still take the HPV vaccines even with COVID vaccinations, and perhaps more booster shots to come. All you have to do is make sure there’s a 2-week interval between the vaccines ‒ whichever comes first.
Even after having received all 3 doses, it is recommended that females between the ages of 25 to 69 go for regular cervical cancer screenings (Pap test and HPV test). This is to ensure early detection as the HPV vaccination does not protect against all cancer-causing HPV subtypes.
Find out more about these cervical screenings, which are offered at no cost, on SCS’s official website.
As the saying goes, “prevention is always better than cure”: reach out to your girlies about getting their HPV vaccinations, especially if they have yet to receive theirs.
With the HPV Immunisation Programme, eligible females in Singapore can now receive HPV vaccinations at no cost. They can also take advantage of the screenings to ensure they’re in good health.
For more information, head over to the Singapore Cancer Society’s Instagram and Facebook.
This post is brought to you by the Singapore Cancer Society.
All images courtesy of Singapore Cancer Society.
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