Follow-up HPV vaccine clinic set for May 14
May 1, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Registration is now open for the second of two free HPV vaccine clinics hosted by the Harwood Unified Union School District and the Vermont Department of Health, scheduled for May 14.
The Harwood district on Tuesday announced the details for the clinic, which will be held during school hours, 8:30-11:30 a.m., in the auditorium lobby at Harwood Union Middle-High School.
Children ages 9 and over who have not begun or completed the vaccine series are eligible. They need to reside in the Harwood district communities, but they do not need to attend Harwood district schools.
The clinic is a collaboration between the district and the state Health Department to focus on preventing the spread of human papillomavirus (known as HPV for short). HPV infections can lead to cancers and other health issues. Available since 2006, the vaccine has been shown to prevent over 90% of cancers caused by HPV, according to the Health Department.
The initial clinic on March 12 was held after school, and a dozen students were vaccinated, according to Allison Conyers, the Harwood district’s lead school nurse. Conyers said there were multiple requests from parents that the subsequent vaccine opportunity be held during the school day.
The May 14 follow-up is scheduled for a school-day morning, she said. The second opportunity was planned given that the HPV vaccine is given as a series of two or three shots, depending on the youngster’s age.
The collaboration also involved a pilot program with researchers at the Northern New England Clinical Translational Research Network based at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. That part invited community members to a workshop to share their personal stories about vaccinations that were then published on various platforms. Some of those stories were posted in the Waterbury Roundabout’s Opinion section here.
For the May 14 clinic, parents can register their child for an appointment online and should direct any questions to their school nurse. Parents do not need to be present for their child’s appointment if all forms are completed in advance. However, the school district will not be providing transportation to and from the clinic for students who do not attend Harwood. Registration forms and more information are online on the school district’s website HUUSD.org.