New cancer vaccine launched
The government is to decide on a nationwide cervical cancer vaccine
Also In The News
|
Penguin, November 1st, Hardback £10. |  |
Tuesday, 02, Oct 2007 08:08
A new vaccine which targets one of the causes of cervical cancer has been launched today.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) says that Cervarix protects against the two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause the majority of cervical cancers – HPV16 and HPV18.
Each year about 3,000 women develop cervical cancer and about 1,000 die of the disease
GSK senior vice president Eddie Gray described the vaccine as a significant breakthrough for women.
"Just 30 years ago scientists were still debating the cause of cervical cancer – now we have a vaccine against the two strains of HPV that cause the majority of cervical cancer," he said.
"That is a remarkable achievement in such a short time."
Commenting on the European Commission's approval of Cervarix, Stuart Danskin, Cancerbackup senior nurse, said: "We welcome this decision on a vaccine to prevent the HPV virus, which is a significant risk factor for developing cervical cancer.
"Vaccinating against the virus may mean that the majority of cervical cancers could be prevented in the future and we look forward to a national vaccination programme being introduced."
Another vaccine, Gardasil, has been licensed for use in the European Union.
In June the government agreed in principle that girls aged 12 to 13 should be given an HPV vaccination.
The joint committee on vaccination and immunisation is expected to make formal recommendations to the Department of Health on an NHS vaccination programme later in the year.