Cervical cancer shots on cards

A new vaccine for cervical cancer could soon be available in Barbados. And if it is, girls from as young as nine could be inoculated against this killer disease.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Joy St John told the SUNDAY SUN the Ministry of Health was “seriously considering” introducing the vaccine and was currently in discussions with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to see how they could procure it through PAHO’s revolving fund.

One of the vaccines being marketed in the United States under the name Gardasil is aimed at young girls and women between the ages of nine and 26 and is being recommended as part of girls’ regular immunisation schedule there.

St John admitted some Barbadians would object to the vaccine being given to girls so young but pointed out that younger women were developing cervical cancer and it could no longer be seen as “an older person’s disease”.

“Anything that is connected with sexual activity you approach with caution, but if you can save lives from cervical cancer . . . . If something is not done, women will die younger and you can think of the years of production that will be lost.”

A major area of concern is the cost. One injection could go for as much as $240 and the complete vaccination series consists of three shots over a six-month period. That’s an overall cost of $720. Another version of the vaccine Cervarix developed by GlaxoSmithKline, is expected to be launched here later this year by the private sector but it is not clear how much that will go for.

However, St John said if any version of the vaccine was introduced by Government, it would be considerably cheaper to get it through PAHO.

She said the ministry recently introduced a vaccine for seasonal influenza and that was a big expansion to its budget.

“Even if the vaccine is being launched by the private sector, they couldn’t give us the type of cost saving that a fund with so many countries would.

“We just introduced a seasonal influenza vaccine and have been giving it out to those working on the frontline, like at the ports of entry, but we’ve been trying to put it on the schedule for an increasing number of people, especially those at risk, like asthmatics and the elderly.

(Barbados Nation)