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| Panel endorses girls' cancer jab | Panel endorses girls' cancer jab |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| All girls aged between 12 and 13 in the UK should be vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer, a government panel has recommended. | All girls aged between 12 and 13 in the UK should be vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer, a government panel has recommended. |
| The government in England said while it accepted the advice "in principle", it would have to decide if the programme was financially viable. | |
| It is thought that vaccinating against human papillomavirus (HPV) could save hundreds of lives in the UK each year. | It is thought that vaccinating against human papillomavirus (HPV) could save hundreds of lives in the UK each year. |
| But experts say it could be 20 years before the first benefits are seen. | But experts say it could be 20 years before the first benefits are seen. |
| It will also prove expensive, costing around £250 for three doses over six months. | |
| However, campaigners say it represents value for money given how effective it is in combating HPV, which is held responsible for around 70% of cervical cancer cases. | |
| The disease kills 274,000 women worldwide every year, including 1,120 in the UK. | |
| There are two vaccine possibilities: Gardasil, made by Merck and Sanofi Pasteur, has already been approved in 76 countries, while Cervarix is expected to be launched in Europe later this year. | |
| Pre-emptive strike | |
| The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) examined the evidence surrounding the vaccines before concluding that 12-and 13-year-old girls should all be immunised. | |
| The main benefits won't be seen until decades down the line Dr David Elliman | |
| But it did not, as some had hoped, call for a "catch-up" programme which would include all those up to the age of 16. | |
| The vaccine is most effective when it is administered to girls before they become sexually active. | |
| Some have expressed concerns that providing a jab to protect against a sexually transmitted infection to children at a young age might encourage promiscuity. | |
| But in a Manchester University study of parents' attitudes, only a minority of those asked expressed some concern about the sexual implications. The report concluded that most - if convinced the jab was safe and effective - would allow their daughter to be vaccinated. | |
| In any event, parents would have the final say as to whether their child received the injection. | |
| Strings attached | |
| The Tories have accused the government of dragging its feet on the issue. | |
| Following the announcement from the JCVI, health Minister Caroline Flint said she was "delighted to announce that we intend, in principle, to introduce an HPV vaccine into the national immunisation programme." | |
| But there were conditions, a Department of Health statement added. The programme would have to undergo an "independent peer review of the cost-benefit analysis", and funding for it would be "considered in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review". | |
| The vaccine costs more than all the immunisations each child receives put together, said Dr David Elliman, a consultant In Community Child Health at Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children. | |
| "It will be a big, long term investment," he said. "The main benefits won't be seen until decades down the line, as these girls become women, but we will, eventually, get our money back." |