The Department of Health (DOH) announced that all 9-year-old girls who wish to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can do so for free in 2025, following funding approval from the government.
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa confirmed on Tuesday that he sought and received the approval of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to finance both doses of the HPV vaccine, which helps protect women from cervical cancer.
“Ang isang nahingi ko kay Presidente BBM ay pondohan na lahat ng 9-year-old girls for HPV vaccination. P4,000 po isang dose nito, two doses ito, at pumayag si BBM,” Herbosa said in a press conference.
(I asked President BBM to fund HPV vaccinations for all 9-year-old girls. One dose costs P4,000, and there are two doses. The President approved it.)
Herbosa added, “We are now funding, next year, 2025, all girls that want HPV vaccination.”
Bakuna-Eskwela
This funding builds on the Bakuna-Eskwela initiative, a school-based nationwide vaccination program launched on October 7 by the DOH and the Department of Education (DepEd).
The program aims to immunize school-age children against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), including:
- Measles
- Rubella
- Diphtheria
- Tetanus
- Cervical cancer (via the HPV vaccine for girls).
The program seeks to immunize at least 3.8 million public school students in Grade 1 and Grade 7 with measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria vaccines. Over 900,000 female Grade 4 students in select public schools were also targeted to receive the HPV vaccine.
As of December 13, the DOH reported that 505,010 Grade 4 female students nationwide have already received the HPV vaccine, which accounts for 64.48% of the total target population. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
