Government considers extending cervical cancer vaccination to adults
KOTA KINABALU: The government will consider expanding the free human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme to include protection against cervical cancer for adults.
However, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said that providing the vaccine free to adult women would depend on whether her ministry had sufficient funds.
From next year, the government will immunise all 13-year-olds in a programme that is expected to cost about RM150mil a year.
“The decision to provide the vaccine free for 13-year-olds was made because cervical cancer accounted for the second highest number of cancer cases among women in Malaysia, after breast cancer.
“If there is a need, the ministry will extend free jabs for others,” she told reporters at the her Hari Raya open house in Kg Pengalat Besar in Papar yesterday.
She said the vaccine has been found to be more effective when given to younger people compared to those in the 40s.
On Friday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai announced that some 300,000 13-year-olds would be given free HPV immunisation jabs.
The vaccine is available in the country and costs about RM1,200 for three doses at private hospitals although the government was negotiating with the suppliers to reduce the price to about RM500.
I wish this Very Important Person would consult the expert and think before she make such popularity-enhancing statement, for when the public finds out the truth, would make her look stupid anyway (not that people like this would ever admit to it). The HPV vaccination is 'more effective when given to younger people compared to those in the 40s' because the vaccination doesn't work on women that's already have sex, i.e. those who are not virgin. This is because the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which causes cancerous changes on the cervix is very easily sexually transmitted. A senior doctor once told me even using condom will not prevent it from being transmitted, as it's one of those naturally occurring opportunistic microorganism which usually doesn't cause much trouble other than wanting to find a nice warm host. Once a lady have had sex, she already has this virus, although I have to emphasize that it doesn't turn cancerous in the big big majority of women. A woman only puts herself at high risk of cancer if she has multiple partners, doesn't use regular protection, smokes etc, you get the picture. HPV vaccine prevents the virus from infesting the cervix, but if they are there already, the vaccine is useless.
I'm not surprised that the introduction of this vaccine has not sparked a debate like it did in the UK. When the HPV vaccine was introduced in the UK, much information on HPV and cervical cancer were disseminated in order for parents and teenagers to make informed decisions. I was examined on counselling a worried parent in my fourth year gynae exam. UK parents were worried that endorsing this vaccine means condoning sex among teenage girls. I can only imagine what a ferocious issue the Islamic politicians would blow this into if they have been clever enough to find out. Cross our fingers they won't because if we just give it a second thought, we'd realize that it is just like any innocent vaccination we've ever had. It's there to protect the girls against cervical cancer in the future, nothing to do with the choice of sex lives they want to lead.
Take home message for politicians from the right, left, top and bottom wings who want to make the lime light: Whatever you say won't make me like you more because I frankly don't believe any of you anymore these days. Please check your facts first, don't waste the precious taxpayer money, don't give people false hope.
KOTA KINABALU: The government will consider expanding the free human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme to include protection against cervical cancer for adults.
However, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said that providing the vaccine free to adult women would depend on whether her ministry had sufficient funds.
From next year, the government will immunise all 13-year-olds in a programme that is expected to cost about RM150mil a year.
“The decision to provide the vaccine free for 13-year-olds was made because cervical cancer accounted for the second highest number of cancer cases among women in Malaysia, after breast cancer.
“If there is a need, the ministry will extend free jabs for others,” she told reporters at the her Hari Raya open house in Kg Pengalat Besar in Papar yesterday.
She said the vaccine has been found to be more effective when given to younger people compared to those in the 40s.
On Friday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai announced that some 300,000 13-year-olds would be given free HPV immunisation jabs.
The vaccine is available in the country and costs about RM1,200 for three doses at private hospitals although the government was negotiating with the suppliers to reduce the price to about RM500.
I wish this Very Important Person would consult the expert and think before she make such popularity-enhancing statement, for when the public finds out the truth, would make her look stupid anyway (not that people like this would ever admit to it). The HPV vaccination is 'more effective when given to younger people compared to those in the 40s' because the vaccination doesn't work on women that's already have sex, i.e. those who are not virgin. This is because the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which causes cancerous changes on the cervix is very easily sexually transmitted. A senior doctor once told me even using condom will not prevent it from being transmitted, as it's one of those naturally occurring opportunistic microorganism which usually doesn't cause much trouble other than wanting to find a nice warm host. Once a lady have had sex, she already has this virus, although I have to emphasize that it doesn't turn cancerous in the big big majority of women. A woman only puts herself at high risk of cancer if she has multiple partners, doesn't use regular protection, smokes etc, you get the picture. HPV vaccine prevents the virus from infesting the cervix, but if they are there already, the vaccine is useless.
I'm not surprised that the introduction of this vaccine has not sparked a debate like it did in the UK. When the HPV vaccine was introduced in the UK, much information on HPV and cervical cancer were disseminated in order for parents and teenagers to make informed decisions. I was examined on counselling a worried parent in my fourth year gynae exam. UK parents were worried that endorsing this vaccine means condoning sex among teenage girls. I can only imagine what a ferocious issue the Islamic politicians would blow this into if they have been clever enough to find out. Cross our fingers they won't because if we just give it a second thought, we'd realize that it is just like any innocent vaccination we've ever had. It's there to protect the girls against cervical cancer in the future, nothing to do with the choice of sex lives they want to lead.
Take home message for politicians from the right, left, top and bottom wings who want to make the lime light: Whatever you say won't make me like you more because I frankly don't believe any of you anymore these days. Please check your facts first, don't waste the precious taxpayer money, don't give people false hope.
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When will political stupidness end in Malaysia?
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3 comments:
Even a biomedic student like me doesn't noe tat.. I agree, they have the responsibility to make sure info is correct b4 disseminating it to the public..
Oh.. Wat do u mean by it is easily sexually transmitted and it is part of our natural microflora in the genitalia? Isn't tat contradictory?
The vaccine is effective to ppl who have not been exposed to the virus.. And there are many types of HPV, some tat commonly causes cancer are called high risk HPV.. So even if u've had sex and have been in contact with certain types of HPV before, the vaccine will still work if u have not been exposed to high risk HPV that the vaccine works against.. I think thats how the vaccine works le..
I didn't say HPV is part of our natural microflora. It's not. But it's everywhere in the environment, slips into the cervix by sex.
Why your comments so difficult one? I cannot answer la. Will have to check the literature. I think the important thing is to educate women about sexual health. Things like using condom, not having multiple partners themselves not lower women's risk of acquiring cervical cancer (regardless or whether they have had the jab or not), they also protect them against a host of other sexually transmitted infections. One of the worries among medics is that women would feel safe after the jab that all the sexual safety precaution becomes unnecessary, which is a potentially dangerous view.
nice entry
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