UK: 300,000 more offered cancer vaccine

[Guest guest]

Are they then saying that 400 girls between the ages of 12 and 18 die from

cervical cancer each year? That sounds excessive to me...

http://www.channel4

com/news/articles/society/health/300000+more+offered+cancer+vaccine/2348887

300,000 more offered cancer vaccine

Last Modified: 20 Jul 2008

Source: PA News

Girls aged 17 to 18 will be offered a new vaccination to protect against

cervical cancer, the Department of Health has said.

The new vaccination programme is now available to an extra 300,000 girls

between the age of 17 and 18 who, under original plans, were not to be given

the treatment. This figure has been extended from girls aged 12 to 13 who

will receive routine vaccination.

From September, girls in these age groups will be given three doses of

Cervarix in injection form in school over a period of six months, which

should last a lifetime " , Alison Langley, a Department of Health spokesperson

said.

She added: " Because the vaccine is brand new we can't guarantee that it will

last a lifetime but we think that it should. "

In addition, a two year " catch-up programme " will begin in the school year

2009/10 effectively meaning that all young women aged between 12 and 18 can

be vaccinated, although they can choose to opt out of the treatment.

The extension has been made possible due to the savings made in the vaccine

procurement process, the Department of Health said.

Dawn Primarolo, Public Health Minister, said: " Our policy to vaccinate girls

against cervical cancer is one of the biggest public health campaigns in

recent history. It will mean that up to 400 girls' lives will be saved each

year.

" By choosing the right vaccine we have been able to make savings which means

we can extend the programme to 17 and 18 year olds. This could save an

additional 400 lives. "

The vaccine aims to work against the two strains of the human papilloma

virus (HPV) that causes 70% of cases of cervical cancer.

Although the cost of Cervarix is commercially confidential, the Department

of Health confirmed that an extra £10 million has been made available to

PCTs to support the implementation of the programme, which will be offered

free of charge on the NHS.