NOT SO BENIGN

A vaccine preventing cervical cancer has been around since 2008. Why are we still in the dark about it?

- PRATIKSHA ACHARYA

No one was as happy as the anti-vaxxers when pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca admitted in a UK court that their COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, can cause Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), an extremely rare side effect associated with blood clots. “We told you so,” they said, jubilantly. But as it turns out, there’s nothing new about this admission, given that every vial of the vaccine comes with an insert that mentions the same. So, a little oversight there with the Covid vaccine. But when it comes to the HPV vaccine, these anti-vaxxers are a part of a larger percentage that lacks awareness and knowledge of its importance. Given the lack of knowledge and education that most people possess about women’s health and wellness, there isn’t a considerable hue and cry when it comes to cervical cancer, especially when there exists a vaccine that has a 90 per cent efficacy rate when it comes to preventing it.