Orange County Health Commissioner Plans HPV Initiative

From the Office of the Orange County Health Commissioner:

A stakeholder action planning meeting was held at the Orange County Arboretum in Montgomery on Wednesday and Thursday of this week to develop a multi-faceted approach to increase the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination rates in Orange County.

This initiative was sponsored by grant funds from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and was organized by the Orange County Department of Health. Participants at the event included staff from NACCHO of Washington, D.C., NYSDOH Bureau of Immunization, the Eastern Division of the American Cancer Society, Cancer Services Program of YWCA, Crystal Run Healthcare, Horizon Family Medical Group, Planned Parenthood of Mid-Hudson Valley, Valley Central School District, Hudson River Health Care and Middletown Community Health Center. Leadership from each of the organizations developed a coordinated action plan and committed to activities over the next year to help improve the County’s vaccination rates and prevent cancers among our youth.

Approximately 14 million men and women in the U.S. will become infected with HPV each year, which causes a number of cancers including cervical cancer and diseases such as genital warts. Approximately 50-75 percent of new HPV infections occur in 15-24 year olds. There is no treatment for HPV infection. HPV vaccination is the best method of prevention and it is most important to protect children before they are at risk of exposure and when the vaccine is most effective by beginning the vaccination series at age 11 or 12.

For more information on this initiative and how to become involved, contact the Orange County Department of Health Immunization Program at 845-291-2330.