For Audra McKinley, HPV is personal. “I watched my mother die of cervical cancer when I was sixteen and I was devastated.” Audra is now a mother of two and her daughter Alexandria will be receiving the HPV vaccine for free, as part of the grade six provincial program. For Audra, this opportunity couldn’t come a moment too soon.
“I’ve done my research and know that the vaccine is safe and effective, and can prevent 70% of all cervical cancers,” explains Audra. “My mother died on the Wednesday before Mother’s Day and I’ll never forget it. If a vaccine can help prevent what our family went through, then I am all for it.”
The HPV vaccine is the current focus of ImmunizeBC’s new family oriented “I Have Immunity” campaign which is launching today as part of National Immunization Awareness Week from April 23-29. Only two thirds of girls in BC who are eligible to receive the vaccine have done so since it was introduced in 2008. To help change this, the campaign aims to seek out individuals like Audra, who are passionate supporters of immunization and have a story to tell about a vaccine-preventable disease.
“With the explosion of internet, and the increasing use of online social media, people are communicating with each other to a degree unimagined 10 years ago,” says Dr. Monika Naus, Director of Immunization from the BC Centre for Disease Control, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority. “Doctors and nurses are used to hard numbers and statistics that demonstrate vaccine effectiveness and safety. While we will continue to provide factual information, it is important to hear the personal stories of British Columbians who have experienced these diseases first hand. Our hope is that ImmunizeBC will provide a forum for these stories.”
The challenge for immunizers has been to get their message out in an environment rife with misinformation where innuendo and rumour can spread faster than ever. That’s where stories like Audra’s come in.
By encouraging individuals to speak about their own personal experiences, ImmunizeBC anticipates this will help win over others who may be hesitant about vaccination. “We know these stories are out there,” says Dr. Naus, “and they will help make these diseases more vivid than mere numbers can.”
Dealing with the repercussions of vaccine preventable diseases like cervical cancer, meningitis, measles, whooping cough and influenza can be overwhelming for some families. ImmunizeBC has developed a new social media focused website at www.immunizebc.ca that will help facilitate the support of the previously silent majority of the public who understand that vaccines are an important part of family health. The new site includes three new features: a vaccine calendar tool to remind parents to schedule their child’s next immunization appointment, a Public Health Unit finder that makes it easy to find where to get immunized in communities throughout BC, and a campaign section that showcases the stories of advocates and invites the public to get involved.
“One of the purposes of this site will be an outlet for individuals and families to tell their story in their own words,” continues Naus. “We believe that telling and re-telling of stories through ‘personal networks’ such as loved ones, friends, co-workers and acquaintances will have a positive impact on how people feel about vaccination within their local community.”
For more information about Audra’s story or how to get involved as an immunization advocate for your community, visit www.ihaveimmunity.com. As for Audra, it was a “no brainer” for her daughter to receive the HPV vaccine. “As a mom, you want to protect your kids from harm. After all, it’s cancer. Why wouldn’t you prevent it if you could?”
Some facts about HPV and the vaccine:
- The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of cervical cancer and genital warts.
- HPV is a common sexually transmitted virus and will affect three out of four women in their lifetime, often with no symptoms
- The vaccine is safe, effective and free for girls born after 1994.
Information on other vaccines in BC
The current BC immunization schedule is comprised of vaccines that protect against 14 infectious diseases:, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenzae b, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal disease, pneumococcal disease, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox and influenza.
For more information on immunization in British Columbia go to www.immunizebc.ca
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Media Contact:
Ritinder Harry
BCCDC Communications
604-707-2412
