Cancer Vaccination Extended To All Young Women

Free Cervical Cancer Vaccination Extended To All Young Women, 12-18 Years Old

A free vaccination programme that will help protect girls and young women against cervical cancer will be extended this year to include all young women, aged 12-18 years, in Canterbury.

From this month, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination will be available from all General Practices in Canterbury, as part of a national immunisation programme.

In other parts of the country, most girls and young women will be offered the vaccination at school; however, in Canterbury, all eligible girls and young women will receive an invitation letter from their General Practice to receive the free vaccination from their practice nurse or GP.

Although General Practices will this year focus on vaccinating girls and young women born in 1992, 1993 and 1997, other age groups are also able to receive the vaccination at any time they wish.

The HPV programme began in September last year, with young women born in 1990 and 1991 being eligible for the free vaccination.

The vaccination protects against the two strains of human papillomavirus that cause 70% of all cervical cancer cases and 90% of all genital wart cases, provided the girl or young woman has not already been infected with those strains of the virus.

HPV is a common virus spread through skin to skin contact and, while most infections clear by themselves, some strains can cause cell changes that may eventually lead to cervical cancer.

Girls and young women will have three doses of the vaccine over a period of six months, which they will be able to get from any General Practice in Canterbury.

Canterbury District Health Board Project Manager Alison Young said the aim was to immunise young women before they became sexually active and could therefore be exposed to HPV.

However, a young woman who had already had sexual contact may still benefit from having the vaccination because it is unlikely she will have been exposed to both of the two HPV types that cause seven out of 10 cervical cancers.

“We want to encourage as many girls and young women as possible to get their free vaccination. If your daughter doesn’t like needles or is nervous about going to her General Practice, encourage her to go to get the vaccination with a friend.

“Although having a sexual partner might be a long way off, having your daughter vaccinated now will reduce her chances of developing cervical cancer in the future,” Alison says.

Trials have shown the vaccination has no serious side effects, although some people may experience redness or swelling at the injection site. A few may also develop a mild fever.

It is not clear yet how long young women will be protected after they have received the vaccination. However, trials show that after six years it still provides immunity for the two strains of HPV it protects against.
About 160 New Zealand women are currently diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and 60 women die from the disease. In the long term it is hoped about 30 lives will be saved as a result of the vaccination programme.

*For more information, about the free cervical cancer vaccine, talk to your General Practice or health clinic, visit www.cervicalcancer.govt.nz , www.gardasil.com or call 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863).

ENDS

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