TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Health Ministry denies rumors that the HPV vaccine can cause infertility in women. Quoting the ministry's website, its spokesperson Mohammad Syahril asserted that the circulating information was false and that the HPV vaccine has been confirmed to be safe and generally did not cause serious reactions.

HPV or Human Papilloma Virus is a group of viruses that can spread through sexual activity and can cause genital warts and cancer. Therefore, girls must have the HPV vaccination.

The HPV vaccine, like most vaccines in general, only causes mild reactions. These include redness, swelling and mild pain at the injection site. This reaction will appear one day after immunization and can last one to three days. Another common reaction that it may cause is fever.

According to Mayo Clinic, the HPV vaccine protects the body from cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, vulva, penis or anus caused by HPV. The HPV vaccine also protects the body against cancer of the mouth, throat, head and neck.

This vaccine provides the body with a safe way to sensitize the immune system to several types of HPV. This means that the body will more easily clear this type of virus if a person contracts HPV in the future.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the main target group in most countries is adolescent girls aged 9 to 14 years. The HPV vaccine should not be given to pregnant women, or someone who experiences an allergic reaction after the first HPV injection. People who are sick should also wait until they have completely recovered to get the HPV vaccination.

WINDA OKTAVIA

Editor's Choice: Health Ministry Clarifies on HPV Vaccine Misinformation

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News