Cervical Cancer Vaccine in Schools from Term one

Thursday 29 January 2009

Cervical Cancer Vaccine Offered in Schools from Term 1

A free vaccine aimed at protecting girls and young women from cervical cancer will be offered in participating schools throughout Southland from the first term.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation will be offered free to girls in school year 8 (approximately 12 years of age).

A catch up programme for girls in years 9-13 will also be offered as part of the school based immunisation programme. This year it will be offered to those girls in years 12 and 13, with the remaining girls being offered it in 2010.

The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most commonly cause cervical cancer and genital warts, provided that the young woman has not been infected with those strains of the virus already.

The school-based programme is being rolled out in Southland by the region’s four Primary Health Organisations’ (PHOs) HPV Immunisation Team, with additional support being provided by the Pacific Island Advisory and Cultural Trust and Awarua Social and Health Services.

PHO HPV Project Manager Diane Wilson said approximately 2,500 girls and young would be offered the immunisation this year through the school-based programme.

Written consent is required from parents and caregivers for girls under 16 years of age to receive the vaccine in schools, while girls aged 16 and over may complete and sign the consent form themselves.

“Consent forms will be distributed to participating schools next week for girls to take home, complete and return within ten days,” said Ms Wilson.

“Our team will be distributing the forms and visiting schools (both scheduled and on demand) to provide as much information as possible so that girls can discuss the immunisation with their families.

“It is about the whole family making an important decision on the health of their girls.”

The first school to participate in the immunisation programme will be Invercargill’s Aurora College, with the HPV Immunisation Team nurses commencing the programme in the last week of February.

Ms Wilson said girls and young women who would prefer not to be immunised at school can also receive the free immunisation in Southland from their local doctor, the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) and Number Ten Youth Health Centre. Immunisations may also be provided by local Maori Health Services and family planning clinics in the future.

SDHB Paediatrician Dr Vili Sotutu said about 160 women in New Zealand are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and about 60 die from it.

“This programme is an important opportunity for girls and young women to protect themselves against the strains of HPV which cause most cervical cancer.

“In the long term it’s expected that 30 lives a year will potentially be saved.”

The vaccine, which is called Gardasil, is given as a series of three injections over a six month period. The vaccine is licensed for use in over 100 countries and has been shown to be safe during large clinical trials. Over 30 million doses of the vaccine have been given worldwide to date.

The school-based programme is an extension of the HPV programme which began nationwide in 2008 when all girls born in 1990 and 1991 were able to be immunised for free at GP practices.

ENDS

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