Fall in number of North Yorkshire children getting HPV vaccine
A report by the Oral Health foundation says many missed it because of lockdown
There's concern over the number of children across North Yorkshire who have not had the HPV vaccine.
The Oral Health Foundation say lock down means many missed out on the jab and still aren't protected.
They say school closures and home learning during the pandemic have led to severe disruption for the vaccine programme. HPV is transmitted through sexual activity and four in five (80%) unvaccinated adults will pick it up at some point in their life. For most people, it causes no symptoms and people will not know they have it. However, in some people, HPV develops into cancer. HPV is linked to 5% of all cancers and is a leading cause of mouth cancer.
Dr Catherine Tannahill is a dentist based in Malton, and their Director of Dentistry, she says it's really important to get the jab: "The number of people being diagnosed with mouth cancer continues to grow at a frightening rate. As dentists we see first-hand the impact mouth cancer can have, but we can play a pivotal role in the detection of mouth cancer.
“We want to ensure people are aware of what the signs and symptoms are, what to do if they spot an issue themselves and what steps they can take to reduce the risk of developing mouth cancer.”