$164m for cervical cancer vaccine

Last updated 22:53 01/05/2008

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The Government has confirmed it will spend $164.2 million over the next five years on a cervical cancer immunisation programme.

Prime Minister Helen Clark, Health Minister David Cunliffe and Associate Health Minister Steve Chadwick said the major programme would be offered free to 300,000 women aged 12 to 18 years from this September.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) programme had shown in trials to be highly effective against the most common causes of cervical cancer.

"This immunisation programme is expected to save around 30 lives a year," the ministers said in a statement.

"We also expect to see a reduction in the number of abnormal smear results, which means that fewer women will have to go through the stress of receiving an abnormal smear result, as well as of the extra tests, diagnoses, and invasive procedures which can follow such a result."

On top of the $164.2 million in new money, the Ministry of Health will spend up to another $13 million from within its baseline to the programme, making the total five year investment around $177 million.

Ms Chadwick said that it would still be important for those who get the vaccine to take part in the screening programme in future.

"While this vaccine protects against the most common causes of cervical cancer, it does not protect against all the causes," Ms Chadwick said.

From September 1, all young women born in 1990 and 1991 can make an appointment and begin HPV immunisation from their family doctor or practice nurse or health clinic.

From 2009, the vaccine will be incorporated into the routine immunisation schedule for year 8 girls (age 12-13).

The Health Ministry had put a high priority on funding the vaccine starting from next February, but today's announcement will bring that forward to this year.

Nikki Turner, a director of Auckland University's Immunisation Advisory Centre, said it was excellent news.

It was "a fantastic new vaccine" that had been used in many countries including the United States, the United Kingdon, Canada and Australia.

She said starting at 13, rather than 11, would make little difference, and would fit in well with a schools-based immunisation programme.

Britain's Labour Government has announced routine immunisation of all 12 and 13-year-old girls.

Green MP Sue Kedgley said parents needed to be properly informed about the potential risks of vaccination. Adverse reactions to vaccines included fainting, seizures, numbness and other problems had been reported overseas.

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Prostate Cancer Foundation president Barry Young today welcomed the news but also called for more education and awareness campaigns on prostate cancer for which there was no vaccine.

He said men needed to find out if there was a history of the disease in their family and if there was should go to their doctor and get checked.

Health Minister David Cunliffe was asked today whether there would also be money for prostate cancer screening.

Mr Cunliffe said his health associate Damien O'Connor was leading a programme to develop new strategies for helping with men's health issues and an announcement would be made about that "in due course".

A Parliamentary committee last year rejected a call for a national prostate screening programme for men over 50 but said guidelines were needed to help men with symptoms.

CSL Biotherapies country manager Mike Taylor later confirmed the vaccine as Gardasil.

Mr Taylor said he believed the decision was a very positive step forward for the health of New Zealand women.

He pointed to the success of Gardasil in Australia as an example of the impact the vaccine could have.

CSL Biotherapies advised it would be able to deliver the vaccine in time for the immunisation programme to start in September this year.

- The Dominion Post and NZPA

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BedloikT #68 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

SasDerosv #67 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

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Frank M. #66 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

They are not just immunising against the wart virus they are immunising against the type of HPV that has been proven to cause 70% of cervical cancers. They are killing two birds with one stone by reducing girls chances of getting cervical cancer by 70% and reducing their chance of getting genital warts by 90%

Stuart #65 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Regardless of all the viewpoints, there are some Facts that cannot be ignored: and if you Do choose this vaccine, I would request close monitoring for the following few days. This from: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58004 (and has anything major changed since this article was written last year?)

"Another eight deaths in just the past few months are being connected to Gardasil, Merck & Co.'s vaccine that targets the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus and is being considered by many states as mandatory for all schoolgirls, according to documents released by Judicial Watch.

There also have been another 1,824 adverse reactions to the drug, bringing the "known total" of such problems to 3,461, according to the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption.

"In light of this information, it is disturbing that state and local governments might mandate in any way this vaccine for young girls," said Tom Fitton, the group's president. "These adverse reactions reports suggest the vaccine not only causes serious side effects, but might even be fatal."

Ana #64 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

To #14, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that in a time when NZers are falling under rapidly escalating marginal tax-take, that depending on who you speak too, that this is, at best,a great big government spend-up or at worse, is a great big junket as the vaccine is for HPV i.e. warts etc It isnot HPV that causes cancer it is the persistent unwellness that does. This is not the coming of the massia! This is not the cure all for cancer! PAP smears and dna testing, however, are known to be effective! So, why not fund dna testing and increase awareness around PAP smearing. Might then be able to include Hercepton for dying Mums or treatment for male prostrate cancer into the mix.

Secondly, there is wide body of knowledge to support a finding that in terms of the effectiveness of Gardasil, nothing has been proven yet. Do the research. People are dying from adverse reactions. Side effect study appear to be inconclusive.

Similarly, saying that cultural issues are responsible for not getting treatment or regular PAP smears, is simply a myth - it is alot like saying that if we took three Maori, we'd find three criminals, that's racist. Perceptions change.

Perhaps, could have got a bigger bang for our bucks by doing the research first - say, 200,000 or less to canvas the views of parents who may or may not intend to immunise their daughters. Instead, we have this huge investment in a vaccine programme, and therefore, vaccine which only has a shelf life of 3yrs and parents may simply reject the notion that a yet to be proven vaccine is a good thing for their own daughters.

HPV is a self-limiting illness and does not necessarily result in cancer! PAP smears and dna testing for pre-cancerous risk is more proven! Money could have been better spent elsewhere, like purchasing Hercepton for women in NZ who cannot get it, or else treatment for male prostrate cancer, maybe fixing for the systemic doctor crisises? Instead, it is entirely possible, given the controversy that NZ could potentially end up stock piling a vaccine that only has a three year shelf at a substantial cost, simply because planners may have got it wrong. There is a very real sense that parents will choose not to immunise anyway, given the other choices, of PAP smears and dna testing will do more to prevent against cervical cancer than any 'yet to be proven' mass immunisation programme will do?

Sheri L. #63 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

In response to #21 and #34, if you want proof of what's in the vaccines I suggest you click here:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf

You'll find mercury (thimerosal), formeldehyde, aluminium, monkey kidney tissue, aborted fetal tissue, free glutamates/MSG, bovine protein, egg, chicken tissue, gelatin, and various others not listed there also contain ethylene glycol (aka antifreeze).

The issue here is not 'Does HPV cause cervical cancer?'; the issue is 'Does Gardasil prevent HPV without also causing major harm to our girls?'. The answer, in short, is no and no.

I also suggest that before slanging off sources such as Natural News, you should read their journalistic manifesto; they are one of the least biased sources you're likely to find.

Unlike Merck, who have been caught committing major fraud several times in the last year, including disguising in-house scientists as independent university researchers to legitimise their studies.

The fact that they killed over 50,000 people in the US alone with their Vioxx drug should be a cautionary tale to anyone...

Susan S #62 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

The trouble with this comment is that women's choice (whether or not to have sex) is not the only variable here. Not only is sexual assault far more common than you appear to realise, but a woman may remain virginal until marriage, then marry someone who is not the virgin he says he is (and may well be continuing with other partners unbeknownst to her)--and get exposed to HPV despite my best intention.

Also, you are already "paying" for consequences of people's sexual behaviour--and it's a whole lot less expensive to immunise than to treat the HPV diseases.

tgt #61 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

After a little looking around on the net, I see that the short term side effects study for the vaccine will not be finished till September 2009!!! Does the government think that NZ teenagers should be guinea pigs? And even more, the longest the vaccine has been found to be effective for is 4 years, so 12yr olds will get it and by the time they are actually legally able to have sex it will have no effect.

Just Another Guy #60 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

So we are spending over 1 million dollars per single life saved...??? Does not sound like good value at all to me. Surely if we spent 164 million on more salary for Police, Nurses, Doctors, Teachers - we would save many more than 150 lives through better education and care

Ruth Linton #59 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

What shocking news! It is time health officials had the courage to read independent reports of this vaccine and some of the horrific side effects it has (including death)for many young women. Science so called (or is it a drug company peddling its wares under the guise of science?) has much to answer for in the realm of human health; not all their so-called advances turn out to be anywhere near as good as they make out, and often they are ineffective and downright dangerous. Oh for politicians and health practitioners with the moral courage (and the time) to read research on both sides of an issue and come to balanced, honest and health-promoting position.

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