HPV VACCINES FOR 13 YEAR OLDS TO PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- Vaccinating 13 year old girls with human
papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) can help reduce cases of cervical cancer and
genital warts, the House of Representatives was told Tuesday.

Deputy Health Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said studies had
shown that teenage girls aged less than 15 have a better immunity response
compared with older girls or women.

"For the record, immunity among teenagers (15 years and below) vaccinated
with HPV is very high even after five and a half years. This shows that they do
not need an additional dose," said Rosnah in the House of Representatives when
answering a question by Halimah Mohd Sadique, a Member of Parliament (MP).

Halimah had wanted to know the rationale behind choosing girls aged 13 to be
given HPV vaccinations since they can last only for four years.

Rosnah added that the free HPV vaccination programme carried out by the
government for teenage students was an initiative to prevent cervical cancer.

"The cabinet approved the programme in September 2009 and the
vaccination
process will start by mid-year," she said.

HPV is a common virus that is passed on through genital contact, most often
during sex and most sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their
lives, though most will never even know it and is most common among people in
their late teens and early 20s.

She added that Malaysian women were at a high risk of HPV which can led to
cervical cancer due to their smoking habits, diet and family history.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 80 percent of women who
have reached 50 years would have been affected by HPV and almost 20 percent of
them would have reached a chronic stage, resulting in cervical cancer.

She added that the government would be spending RM150 million (US$45.12
million) to vaccinate
about 300,000 teenagers throughout the country.

-- BERNAMA