26/10/2007

Cancer Jab Offered To Schoolgirls

Schoolgirls as young as 12 are to be offered a vaccination against a sexually transmitted disease which has been linked to cervical cancer from September 2008.

It is believed that vaccinating girls against the human papillomavirus (HPV) before they become sexually active could help reduce the number of cases of cervical cancer.

Research has shown that the virus is one of the key causes of the disease, which kills around 1,000 women each year.

All girls aged 12 - 13 will be eligible for the vaccine, which is a voluntary scheme, and there is the possibility of a catch-up campaign, for older girls, possibly only up to the age of 16 or 18.

Two vaccines have been developed against HPV - Gardasil and Cevarix. Both cost around £300 for three injections given over a six-month period. It has not yet been decided which vaccine will be used.

Routine vaccinations against the virus have already begun in some US states and other European countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France and Belgium, have already approved a vaccination programme.

The news has been welcomed by cancer charities, however some critics of the scheme have expressed concerns that it could encourage promiscuity.

(KMcA)


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