Girls to get cervical cancer vaccination in Andalucia

            The Junta de Andalucia has announced its plans to start offering vaccination against the human papilloma virus in an effort to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. The human papilloma virus, of which many types exist - some of them responsible for warts, can be sexually transmitted and its DNA has been found in 90 per cent of cervical cancers.

            The vaccine will be available from September 15^th and the first to be offered it will be girls born in 1994.  The vaccine consists of three intramuscular injections; the second a month after the first and another after six months. The vaccine protects against the two types of papilloma virus which represent almost 75% of those which are found in the pre-cancer cells which can degenerate into cervical cancer, it also provides protection against genital warts, which are unrelated with cancer of the cervix being caused by a different virus. The vaccine is effective for a period of five years and for this reason is being administered in fourteen year olds as it only effective before sexual relations have begun, the average age for which in Spanish girls is nineteen. The vaccine is regarded as a facet of prevention which complements, but does not replace, regular screening through smear testing.

            In Andalucia there are about 45,000 fourteen year old girls and the Junta has said it has ordered vaccine for this number at a cost of 12.1 million euros. It will be administered in the 1,492 health centres that habitually offer vaccinations although it has been suggested that it may be administered in schools in the future. The Junta has started a campaign to raise public awareness with leaflets and posters being distributed to health centres, and health workers being given documentation covering all the technical aspects of the vaccination.

            Cervical cancer is the second or third most common type of cancer in women; cervical cancer and colorectal cancer are virtually tied for second place after breast cancer. It is estimated that in 2004 some 31,000 women in the EU’s then 25 member countries developed cervical cancer and almost 14,000 died from the disease, making it the sixth or seventh most common cancer in the EU.