Monash Bulletin - 14 April 2007

Monash Joins Cervical Cancer Fight

Young women in the City of Monash will benefit from a new national immunisation program that is expected to dramatically reduce cervical cancer.

A Human Papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine called Gardasil® will now be made available to all secondary school girls and young women aged between 12 - 26 years.

Monash City Council Mayor, Tom Morrissey described the vaccine as a medical breakthrough, especially for future generations of women. "This vaccine is expected to make a huge difference globally to the health of women," he said. "From April, we are very pleased to be able to offer the HPV immunisation free of charge to secondary school girls in the City of Monash."

The HPV vaccine is an Australian discovery by Professor Ian Frazer, from the University of Queensland's Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research, who was named Australian of the Year in 2006.

Final trials of the Gardasil® vaccine found it to be nearly 100% effective against HPV, a sexually transmitted disease, which causes approximately 70 - 80% of cervical cancers.

Since the introduction of routine Pap tests and a national screening program, the number of deaths from cervical cancer annually has more than halved. Unlike other cancers, a HPV virus spreads cervical cancer through genital skin contact. Currently four out of five women will have HPV at some time in their lives.

Gardasil® vaccine is given in three doses at 0, 1-2 and 4-6 month intervals.

"To receive the free immunisation course, school girls will need to obtain parental consent. Consent forms for the HPV vaccine and permission to record immunisation data for a national database are currently being distributed through City of Monash schools," Cr Morrissey said.

The vaccine will also be free for women aged between 18 - 26 years from July this year and is available through their GP.

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Published: 13 April 2007

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