Schoolgirls in Britain will receive HPV vaccination in 2008

Principessa

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Schoolgirls in Britain will be vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer from September 2008, ministers have announced.


This goes further than recommended by experts, with all aged 12-13 eligible, and a catch-up campaign up to 18.

It is thought that vaccinating against human papilloma virus (HPV) could save hundreds of lives in the UK each year.

The vaccine is given in three injections over six months at a cost of around £300 a course.

Earlier this year the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended routine vaccination for 11 to 12-year olds, including the possibility of a catch-up campaign - but only up to the age of 16.

But the government wanted further evidence on the cost benefits of a programme before making a final decision.

In England the programme will start initially in 12 to 13-year olds, with plans to vaccinate those up to the age of 18 from autumn 2009.

Wales and Scotland have announced similar plans, and Northern Ireland will also be carrying out vaccination in 12-year olds but has yet to finalise the details.

It will most likely be done in schools but individual primary care trusts will be responsible for working out how to implement vaccination.

Two vaccines have been developed - Gardasil, made by Merck and Sanofi Pasteur, which has been approved in 76 countries, and Cervarix, made by GSK and launched in the UK recently.

The committee had not made a recommendation as to which of the vaccines should be used.

Killer disease
Some have expressed concerns that providing a jab to protect against a sexually transmitted infection to children at a young age might encourage promiscuity.

But parents would have the final say as to whether their child received the injection.

Sarah Lotzof is a GP at Dedicated Doctors, a private clinic that has been offering the vaccine. She told BBC Radio 5 Live the vaccines were needed.
"It is a huge breakthrough for our younger generation," she said.
"We can stop possibly 85% of people who would have died of cancer dying - and at the moment over 1,000 women are dying of this disease in this country now."

About 80% of sexually active women can expect to have an HPV infection at some point in their lives.

It is held responsible for some 70% of cervical cancer cases, a disease which kills 274,000 women worldwide every year, including 1,120 in the UK.

European approval
In an editorial published last year, the Lancet called for mandatory vaccination against HPV for girls in all EU member states once they are 11 or 12.
Other European countries including Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Luxembourg and Belgium have approved a vaccination programme.

Experts said the programme would be more expensive than all other childhood immunisations and the benefits would not be seen for decades, but eventually it would be worth the cost.

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."

He added that 400 lives could potentially be saved each year, with many women prevented from getting HPV in the first place.

Pamela Morton, director of cervical cancer charity Jo's Trust, said she was absolutely delighted at the news.

"It's exactly what we wanted and it goes beyond our expectations. I'm delighted for young women and their parents."

Dr Loretta Brabin, Reader in Women's Health, University of Manchester, said they were working with two primary care trusts to pilot the vaccination programme ahead of national roll-out.

"So far we have not encountered any major obstacles to parental acceptance of vaccination.

"Parent's main concern is long term safety, and while many do not think their daughters will be at risk of HPV just yet, most understand the need for vaccinating at an early age," she said.

Just my opinion, not trying to make people agree with me:
I understand why many parents are concerned about this new vaccine and it's effects in the futire on their daughters physically.

However, speaking as one who watched the long, painful death of my grandmother due to ovarian cancer; and having had my own vulvar cancer scare just last year, I think it's a good idea. If I had a daughter I'd let her get it.

My only qualm is that I think it should be given to girls at maybe 10 or 11. Not sure about the UK; but kids are sexually active quite young these days in the US.
 

Osiris

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Age of vaccination is a huge issue, especially in young girls as all sorts of hormonal changes cause very different reactions and results to all sorts of things, even medications.

As someone who lost a mother to cancer and watched the long ravaging effects on her, I am all for anything that may stop it early on.
 

Yorkie

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Some have expressed concerns that providing a jab to protect against a sexually transmitted infection to children at a young age might encourage promiscuity.
These will be the same people who are against young teenagers getting contraception for the same ridiculous reason.Promiscuous people don't need any encouragement.
No-one will be vaccinated against their will,those who don't like the idea can opt out.
I never had a jab for anything at school,I wouldn't have trusted them to give me a dose of aspirin properly!
 

got_lost

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*Huge applause!!!*


This is great news and I am glad the government have decided to go ahead with it.

With regards to the 'encourage promiscuity' comments it makes me want to vomit that this even comes up with regards to preventing women against such a killer as cervical cancer.

I was neither promiscuous nor even had that much sex but I am candidate for the disease.

Hats off to the politicians for ensuring this happens!
 

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hdooga

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This is great!

Next move should be a penis implant for all men with smaller than 9" peckers or these girls probably won't even be interested in getting infected with HPV.
 

DC_DEEP

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I think it's a good idea to have it available to those who want it, but I don't think it's a good idea to make it mandatory. It should be the parents' decision.

njqt, this particular innoculation does not protect against ovarian or vulvar cancer - just cervical (or at least that seems to be what I've learned about it.)
 

whatireallywant

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I was just talking to someone about this last night! We both agreed that the whole "it encourages them to be promiscuous" argument was ridiculous! I doubt it'll be approved in the US very soon though, because of the influence of the religious right here. While I can see that it should be the parents decision, I think any reasonable parent would want this. But then, what do I know? :biggrin1:

80% have had HPV?! :eek: I know that I have had an abnormal pap before - could have been that, could have been something else. I had to have cryosurgery on it, which was a rather painful experience...
 

DC_DEEP

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DC - no vaccines in the UK are mandatory, when it's a child under 18 a parents permission is always necessary.
Thanks, SP. I'm not well-versed in UK law.

I know that most of the public school districts in the USA have some innoculation requirements for children. It isn't mandatory, per se, but the district will not allow a student to enroll without it.
 

got_lost

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From what I understand, Wales and Scotland have made their own decisions on this - the health system is already separate for both. I believe the decision is the same but the timelines are different.