If the school based HPV vaccinations come to a halt, Beer warns that the long term public health consequences will be significant, making more persons susceptible to contracting the virus if they are not given the vaccination:
Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, Technical Advisor for Maternal and Child Health
"The school is a safe environment, we have to think of women, women are working and for them to get their child vaccinated they would have to request a day off from school they would have to request a day off from work to carry the child to get vaccinated to a health facility when this can be done in school, in a short period of time without interrupting classes. Women would have to - there are hidden costs other hidden costs, for example she would have to spend extra funds for transportation to and from the health facility to get vaccinated when this can be covered with the cost invested to having the child at school. So there are other factors that are not being facilitating this process for parents and for the students."
Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, Technical Advisor for Maternal and Child Health
"The HPV vaccine, we are prioritizing 9-14 years there is no requirements when it comes to sexual activity because this is not about sex, this is about protecting against cervical cancers and 6 different types of cancers."
Jules Vasquez:
"If the vaccine is blocked at Catholic primary schools, Catholic schools if it is blocked there, we will see and increase in cervical cancer rates in Belize?"
Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, Technical Advisor for Maternal and Child Health
"Yes."
Jules Vasquez:
"And people will die because of a preventable cancer is that correct?"
Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, Technical Advisor for Maternal and Child Health
"Yes you are right, the lower the HPV vaccination coverage the higher the number of cases of cervical cancer that can be prevented with the vaccine that is worldwide documented and in Belize we have enough data on that. So yes low vaccination coverage is equal to higher incidence of morbidity and mortality due to cervical cancer and vaccine preventable cancer."