Scores of HPV vaccines for young people have been cancelled in Fife, as the region’s health board battles to catch up with a backlog of Covid-19 jags.
Additional vaccinators have had to be drafted in after eight Covid-19 jag clinics were overbooked due to an IT glitch, affecting around 7,000 patients.
Work to increase capacity and rearrange appointments is continuing, with the Scottish Government also approaching the Scottish Ambulance Service to provide support and potentially mobile units where needed.
But this has meant scores of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine appointments for 12 and 13-year old boys and girls have had to be shelved this week.
The HPV vaccine helps protect against cancers caused by HPV, including cervical cancer, some mouth, throat, head and neck cancers, and some cancers of the anal and genital areas and genital warts.
The exact number of HPV cancellations is unclear, but it is understood four clinics – Carnegie Hall, St Columba’s Church, Kirkcaldy Scout Hall and Forth Street Hall – have been impacted.
That means that pupils at 16 secondary schools across Fife have seen their appointments cancelled at short notice, with no information about rescheduling.
Rebecca Shoosmith, acting chief executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust charity, urged NHS Fife to ensure a firm plan of action is in place to reschedule the vaccinations.
“The HPV vaccine has been proven to be highly effective at preventing cervical cancer and it gives us the potential to save many lives,” she said.
“In Scotland, we have seen a 90% drop in rates of cervical cell changes thanks to the school vaccination programme.
“Disruptions to delivery as a result of Covid-19 and the vaccination roll-out are understandable, but it is vital that there are clear plans in place to catch up with the huge cohort of young people who have missed out on the vaccine in the previous school years.
“Restrictions and lockdowns present a huge challenge, but cancer prevention, and boosting faith in vaccinations must remain a priority.”
In west Fife, Inverkeithing High, Queen Anne High, Woodmill High, Dunfermline High and St Columba’s have been affected, along with Beath High.
Auchmity, Glenrothes and Glenwood High Schools have been affected in Glenrothes, along with Kirkcaldy, Viewforth, Balwearie and St Andrews RC High.
Pupils at Levenmouth Academy, Bell Baxter in Cupar and Waid Academy in Anstruther have also seen their appointments shelved.
A spokesperson for NHS Fife said: “To enable our vaccination teams to staff expanded community clinics following issues with the National Scheduling Tool, it has been necessary to postpone the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for the remainder of this week.
“All HPV appointments have been cancelled and those effected will be contacted in due course and reappointed.
“NHS Fife apologies for any inconvenience caused by this.”
