The fight to include vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) for men is gaining momentum. It is argued that this measure is important, as men are one of the main carriers and transmitters of the virus, which will make a significant contribution to reducing the spread of the disease and protecting public health more effectively.
A few days after the start of the vaccination campaign against human papillomavirus (HPV) in Tabasco, there was already a shortage of 11,600 doses of this reagent due to a theft by a unit belonging to the Ministry of Health, which transported the vaccines. On the outskirts of the city of Villahermosa. The above will hit the target of administering 90,159 doses of HPV vaccine in health centers and schools in 17 municipalities during the campaign that started on September 12, 2023.
Read more: HPV can cause penile cancer in men
However, HPV vaccines have been available for several years in specialized pharmacies where they can be purchased for up to 400 pesos, although private offices may charge the patient up to a thousand pesos for application. This was confirmed by pharmacy managers as well as the president of the Association Tabasqueños Unidos por la Diversidad y la Salud Sexual (Tudisex), José Cruz Guzmán Matías, and Dr. Rosa María Ávalos, a specialist in nephrology and pediatrics.
This condition can cause different types of cancer in both men and women. Therefore, its application is recommended for girls and teenagers. “It certainly does, because it protects them from disease, especially considering that at a young age girls already know more about sex education and out of curiosity they can experience that part and hence the importance of its application,” he said. Dr. Rosa Maria Avalos.
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Similarly, he also considered the vaccination campaigns being promoted for some years as sufficient. “Of course, in general the health programs in the state, the preventive programs of the Ministry of Health are good,” he commented. For his part, José Cruz Guzmán Matias pointed out that HPV is a high-risk disease.
“Human papillomavirus can cause cancer in both women and men; In men it causes cancer of the penis, anus, and throat, and in women it causes cancer of the anus, throat, and cervix; Why throat? By practicing oral sex, as the virus is present in pre-ejaculate fluid and semen, and by coming in contact with the throat or if they have spit inside their mouth and swallow it. Semen, throat cancer can develop,” she said.
Similarly, he said that the point of concern is having sex without a condom, which is a factor in acquiring this type of virus for which there is no cure. “Just when it is discovered that warts have emerged, the treatment is to burn them off, which are different from other types of warts that occur in other parts of the body, so if it is not treated in time it can turn into cancer. And it can be painful and painful for the person who develops it, he highlighted.
The activist believed that for this reason there should be a vaccination campaign and its application should be universal, as it is generally transmitted by men. “For this reason, we should all be vaccinated against this virus regardless of sexual orientation, the vaccine should be universal not only for girls, adolescents and women, but also for men with active sex lives.
It should be noted that according to pharmacy managers, there are two doses that are administered to girls of 11 or 12 years old, although they can also receive it at 9 years old. However, some chain or generic pharmacies do not handle these types of reagents, which can cost 350 to 400 pesos. It should be noted that although the theft of the Health Ministry unit occurred last week, it was not recognized until this Thursday that the thermal van was transporting 11,200 vaccines against the human papillomavirus.
According to the head of the agency, Silvia Roldán Fernández, the robbery took place in an area called Loma de Caballo, where the individuals had taken the unit and although it was discovered a few moments later, the vaccines were no longer inside. The vaccines were intended for fifth, sixth and first year secondary school students in several municipalities, which is why they have already filed a complaint with the State Prosecutor’s Office, which will be in charge of the relevant investigation.
“I say that anyone who steals a bottle of vaccines knows what they are getting, the HPV vaccine is a very expensive vaccine, very, very expensive, we are giving children in the fifth, sixth and first year of secondary school Our goal is to get vaccines for VHP and of course we are in the process of getting more vaccines to see if it is possible, for VHP yes, we also have demand for vaccine numbers, People, I say we should really give men and women HPV, but we can do that and not care how much the vaccine costs,” the state official said.
For his part, the President of the National Chamber of Commerce, Marco Antonio Gómez Figueroa, regretted the situation and considered that the agency’s security measures should be increased in the transport of this type of reagents. “Yes, it is worrying and measures should be refined and security increased,” he said.
Although the existence of a black market for vaccines is unknown, he believed that the investigation should be carried out until the final results. In turn, the former president of CANACO, Manuel Antonio Miranda Hernández, admitted that the robbery may have been planned.
“They may have already sold it, not just nationally, but overseas, to any other country where these vaccines are going to come, you won’t even realize where they’re going to go,” he stressed. He said this keeps the authorities in control, who must have more intelligence to prevent these cases from unfortunately occurring.
“There should be more control, I think the intention is that there will be a special service to be able to transport this large quantity of vaccines, because it was on the Villahermosa to Cárdenas highway, and there are no video cameras so that the authorities “We can trace the route taken by the criminals,” he said.
It should be noted that approximately 99 percent of cervical cancer cases are linked to human papillomavirus (HPV), and experts point out that both men and women are at risk of getting infected. This is because there are more than 100 types of HPV, 14 of which are high risk. Additionally, unprotected oral sex increases the chance of developing mouth or throat cancer. In the case of girls, the HPV vaccine can be given from the age of 9, but the typical age to receive both doses is between 11 and 12 years, and there should be a gap of at least six months between the two.
(TagstoTranslate)Human Papillomavirus(T)Men(T)Health