New cancer virus vaccine for girls

Source: Exec

Date :26/10/2007 15:21:39

Twelve year old girls will be vaccinated against cervical cancer from September next year, Government officials confirmed today.

From 2009, girls up to the age of 18 will also be offered the jab against human papilloma virus which is responsible for 99 percent of cases of cervical cancer.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: "As a society we need to do more to prevent disease and not just treat it. Now more than ever before we need to make the NHS a service that prevents ill health and prioritises keeping people well. This means a shift in focus from a sickness service to a wellbeing service.

"Prevention is always better than cure and this vaccine will prevent many women from catching the human papilloma virus in the first place, potentially saving around 400 hundred lives a year."

Putting into practice

The vaccination is likely to be administered in schools but the government has left it down to individual primary care trusts will be responsible for working out how to employ the vaccination programme at local level.

Parents will be able to choose if their child is vaccinated or not, but it is thought older girls will be able to ask for the jab without parental involvement.

Two vaccines have been developed, Gardasil and Cevarix, and both cost about £300 for three injections over six months in the UK.

Similar arrangements are expected to be announced by the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Several other European countries have also approved a vaccination programme including Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Luxembourg and Belgium.

October 26 2007