Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) has launched a free HPV vaccination program. IBB’s HPV vaccine application was launched to protect against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) virus, which causes cervical cancer, one of the preventable causes of death in the world. The application, which started today, will be aimed at people suffering from socioeconomic deprivation in the first stage.
The vaccine, which will be administered free of charge to individuals between the ages of 9 and 26 residing in Istanbul, will be administered at Şehzadebaşı Medical Center, Darülaceze Medical Center and Esenyurt Integrated Public Health Centers serving under the IBB Health Department. Citizens who want to benefit from the free vaccination will be able to apply via the form on IBB’s website. The vaccine will be administered in order of appointment.
In order to ensure effective protection, vaccination will be done in two doses for individuals between the ages of 9-15 and three doses for individuals over the age of 15. Depending on the age status, other doses will be required to be administered at a certain period.
Imamoğlu Announced
IBB President Ekrem İmamoğlu said on his social media account, “We are keeping our promise, we are starting the free HPV vaccine application. HPV-induced cancer cases tend to increase in our country. We are starting to receive applications for the first doses of the vaccine we have received.”
Dr. Faculty Member Önder Yüksel Eryiğit, Head of IBB Health Department, stated that the HPV virus is a family of viruses consisting of approximately 40 species and that some species cause cervical cancer in women and genital-based cancers in men. Eryiğit said, “The fact that this virus is a vaccine-preventable cancer reveals the importance of vaccination studies. We are talking about a vaccine that is free of charge in the national calendar in many developed countries in the world. We hope that it will be included in the national vaccination calendar in our country.”
Attracted Intense Interest
On the first day of vaccination, citizens showed great interest. Eylül Çekemci, who received one of the first vaccines, said, “I am very happy. Because I wanted to get this vaccine. It was not one of our priorities in Turkey because it was an expensive vaccine. When I saw Ekrem İmamoğlu’s post, I immediately applied. I was called in the evening and I came to get my vaccine in the morning.”
Those who want to benefit from the free HPV vaccine need to fill out a form and make an appointment via the https://forms.ibb.gov.tr/saglik/ibb-hpv-formu/ web address.
