Father from Llantrisant urges young people to get HPV vaccine after daughter's death from cancer
Rhian Griffiths was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the age of 22 in March 2010 and died aged 25 in June 2012. The vaccine wasn't available to Rhian but her father Wayne wants all young people - both boys and girls - to get a vaccination to protect themselves when offered.
Human papillomavirus is a common virus in the UK, and it is estimated that 8 out of 10 people will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives.
Most HPV infections don't show any symptoms and for most people the virus clears from the body naturally without causing any harm. But in some cases it can lead to cell changes that may develop into cancer.
Rhian who was a nursery teacher from Llantrisant received swift treatment after her diagnosis including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Despite her care, the cancer returned and Rhian passed away in 2012.
Wayne says that Rhian "battled stoically the horrible disease that she sustained over a two year period which culminated in her death in 2012.
"What if the vaccine for HPV had been around when she was that age, when she was in year 8 or year 9? She could be with us now. She was just unlucky that the tumour, the cancers that she had was resistant in the end and unfortunately it happens to a few people to say the least.
Wayne added "if she'd had that vaccine in year 8 or year 9 it might have saved her, we don't know do we, but it does save a lot of people from the ultimate diagnosis.
"You've got to grasp every opportunity to prevent cancer and it's a proven vaccine...it's made a vast difference to young people."
Since then her parents have raised, more than £1 million in memory of Rhian as part of the Rhian Griffiths Forget Me Not Fund. It supports funds for the Velindre Cancer Centre.
It comes as Public Health Wales is urging parents and guardians to make sure their children take up the offer of a HPV vaccine at school.
Chris Johnson, Head of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme at Public Health Wales, said: 'Most HPV infections don't show any symptoms and for most people, the virus will clear from the body naturally without causing harm. However, in some cases it can lead to cell changes that may develop into cancer, or cause genital warts.
'High-risk types of HPV are linked to cervical cancer, head and neck cancers, and other cancers of the genitals and anus.
'The HPV vaccine is a safe and highly effective single-dose vaccine that is offered to all children at 12 to 13 years of age, or school year 8. It provides long-lasting protection against HPV and the cancers it can cause.'
Some HPV-related cancers are more common in men than women, yet despite this, boys are less likely to get their HPV vaccine than girls.
At present the Welsh Government has a 90 per cent vaccination target rate with the vaccine being offered to all year 8 pupils and those who may have previously missed their vaccination.
Public Health Wales has said young people who don't attend school or have missed their HPV vaccination in school will have opportunities to receive the vaccine, either in school, community vaccination centres or through their GP.
Young people remain eligible to receive the HPV vaccine until their 25th birthday, although for boys this only includes those born after 1 September 2006.
Chris Johnson added: 'It's important that parents and guardians understand the benefits of the HPV vaccine and how it can help protect their children later in life.
"We're urging them to make sure their child takes up the vaccine when offered, to help protect them from HPV-related cancer in the future.'
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"Signage around the event should ensure that people are encouraged to wash their own and their children's hands properly on a regular basis throughout their visit. 'We would also like to see farmers make their visitors aware of the risks involved in having close contact with young animals, so that people are educated before they attend. 'I would encourage any farmers who are considering opening their farms for these events to consider all the risks, and plan ahead early to enable them to make all the necessary provisions possible in order to keep their visitors safe from infection.' The report found that the spring 2024 cryptosporidium outbreak was making it one of the largest reported outbreaks of the bug in Wales, and "the largest to date associated with a farm setting in England and Wales". Symptoms of cryptosporidiosis and how to avoid it Symptoms of the bug include: Profuse watery diarrhoea Stomach pains Nausea Vomiting Low-grade fever Loss of appetite Dehydration Weight loss Symptoms usually last for about two weeks but can be longer, especially in people with weak immune systems. During the illness, you might think that you are getting better and have shaken off the infection but then it returns a couple of days later before you fully recover. Take the following steps to protect yourself from the illness. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water: Before preparing and eating food After handling raw food After going to the toilet or changing a baby's nappy After working with, feeding, grooming or playing with pets and other animals Help young children to wash their hands properly and always wash and/or peel fruits and vegetables before eating them. Do not drink untreated water. You should pay special attention to hygiene during farm visits, washing hands after any contact with animals, and eating only in designated areas. How do I treat the illness? There is no specific treatment for cryptosporidiosis. Most people with a healthy immune system will recover within one month. It's important to drink plenty of fluids as diarrhoea or vomiting can lead to dehydration and you can lose important sugars and minerals from your body. Cryptosporidiosis is highly infectious, so you need to be very clean around your home for at least 48 hours after your symptoms stop, so don't return to work or school until that time has passed, don't share towels or bedding and don't prepare food for others. You are infectious to other people while you are ill and have symptoms. The report authors confirmed that the lambs used for petting events were the source of the outbreak and the odds of visitor becoming unwell increased with each successive week the event was open. Children under the age of 10 were the most likely to become unwell. "This may, in part, be explained by children often having poorer hand hygiene, being more likely to engage in behaviours that facilitate transmission - such as nail-biting or thumb-sucking - and being less likely to thoroughly wash their hands without appropriate supervision," the report authors said. Cryptosporidium symptoms usually start two to 10 days after infection and can last for around two weeks once they appear. Sometimes the illness may seem to improve as symptoms ease, but they can return before full recovery. Very young children and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get severely ill. Eight-year-old Alba Dobbinson was one of the youngest to fall ill this spring in the cryptosporidium outbreak linked to Marlborough Grange Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan. She was hit with nausea and diarrhoea after feeding lambs at the farm with her mum, Vici, on April 17. 5 5 Photos show the little girl cuddling the animals and close contact with infected livestock is one of the main ways the bug spreads. Vici said: 'We were stunned because we had only been around other families and couldn't pinpoint where Alba had caught it. 'It's not like a 48-hour bug, it can potentially go on for up to a month." She added: "She can't even go to school, spend time with her friends or enjoy the weather.' Meanwhile, Gareth Carpenter said he had never seen his son Michael so unwell after he was hospitalised, suspected of catching the parasite at the farm. "He's had chicken pox, he's had flu, he has had viruses, he had many, many, many things as you can imagine as kids do when they mix in with other children, but I've never, ever seen him that ill before," he told WalesOnline. "We had to put him back in nappies, just literally leaking. It was horrendous, stomach pains and cramps."
