Vaccine for cancer virus
Published Date:
19 August 2008
VACCINATION against a virus which causes cervical cancer is to be offered to teenagers this year — but 14 to 16-year-olds will not be immunised until next September.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisations will cost East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust £74,000 to introduce and will be offered to 12 and 13-year-olds and 17 and 18-year-olds, in line with national guidance.
HPV can lead to genital warts and cervical cancer in girls and anal and penile cancer in boys. Boys will not be offered a vaccine.
Simon Eyre, the trust's professional executive committee chair, said, "There could be considered by some to be a deficiency in the scheme as boys are not being vaccinated at all but this is a starting point.
"At the moment, there is no protection at all and the immunisation scheme will produce a major degree of protection for teenagers against developing cancer of the cervix."
The trust is now recruiting a team to begin vaccinations across East Sussex in September.
They will be based in schools.
The full article contains 183 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
19 August 2008 9:13 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Eastbourne
