This article is from page 28 of the 2008-11-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 28 JPG
CLARE Fine Gael TD Joe Carey is one of a number of political fig- ures that has asked the minister for health to reverse her decision not to proceed with the vaccination programme against HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), a sexually trans- mitted infection that can lead to cervical cancer in some women. Deputy Carey said the abandon- ment of the programme proved that
“the minister for health is not pre- pared to address the fundamental issue of a real and genuine public sector reform’.
Speaking in the Dail on the HPV debate Deputy Carey explained how cervical cancer had ruined the life of one of his neighbours.
“She was diagnosed two years ago with cervical cancer. Her life was turned upside down; in her words, her life has been “wrecked” by the scourge of cancer. Her family life
has been ruined. She cannot under- stand what the minister is trying to do to the Irish people,” he said.
Cervical cancer is the eighth most common cancer in Ireland, with 240 new cases diagnosed every year and some 100 deaths.
“The minister gave an assurance to the public three months ago that this vaccine would be provided to all 12 year old girls. Three months later, however, this lifeline has been taken away for no apparent
reason other than to save a few euro. It is absolutely outrageous,” he said.
Clinical trials have shown that HPV vaccination prevents ad- vanced forms of non-invasive cer- vical cancer.
Although there are in excess of 200 HPV strains, just a small number are associated with the de- velopment of cancer of the cervix.
HPV types 16 and 18 are found in almost 70 per cent of cervical can-
cers, while another five sub-types are responsible for a further 20 per cent of cases.
However, the published data on the vaccine does not yet extend be- yond a six and a half follow-up pe- riod. There is currently a nine year study been under taken.
It has therefore yet to be scien- tifically proven that HPV vaccine prevents invasive cancer of the cer- vix or if a booster injection will be required in the future.