Anti-cervical cancer vaccine to be put on sale

Wednesday 30th September, 03:42 AM JST

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diggerdog at 08:35 AM JST - 30th September

yeah all teenage girls are given this in the UK which is a good thing and the same should be done here. We dont yet know why this girl died. Bad batch, allergic reaction, we dont know. But that shouldnt stop this vaccine being used to prevent the suffering that this cancer causes. It already in use in 98 countries so yet again japan is the slowest to get on board.
Osakadaz at 08:39 AM JST - 30th September

Japan has finally caught up..apparently genital wart and HPV infections are going through the roof here,which isn't surprising considering sexual health education is poor here,and that HPV can be spread even when wearing a condom.It seems that Gardasil is the safest of the two vaccines,but either vaccine is a blessing for women.
Badsey at 09:18 AM JST - 30th September

that Natalie Morton was 14 and died hours of taking the vaccine.

These vaccines are IV form and directly put into the bloodstream. Topicals and ingestibles allow the immune system to react in a more normal fashion.

You apply whatever crap is in the Med into the body, where it forms whatever and your immune system reacts to that whatever. =questionable immunity, questionable r(x)n. =Many questions about this crap and it seems many "immunized" kids are coming down with arthritis (immune problems) etc.
Klein2 at 09:50 AM JST - 30th September

Badsey. Great points. It might seem crazy, but I immediately think of similar food safety issues. Does poor application in a few cases outweigh the greater social benefits? Not likely. But better procedures and better applications should be developed continuously.

I know that papilloma spreads and that promiscuity among younger people will continue, so... at the risk of starting a flame war, there are better reasons for abstinence than avoiding pregnancy just like there are better reasons for avoiding alcohol than saving money.

Point being that this vaccine is intended to prevent a serious and spreading problem for young women, and society usually says WHO CARES? when it comes to helping them. Do women even get regular pap smears in Japan? My bet is that the health care system does not pay for that, so it does not get done. For that reason and others, this is good news.
proxy at 09:57 AM JST - 30th September

As long as the government doesn't pay out of my taxes, I don't care.

There are about 750 deaths a year from cervical cancer in the UK. Of those only about 45 are under the age of 35 with most being over the age of 70.

According the NHS, the greatest risk factor in developing cervical cancer is not having regular pap smears.

The UK is spending a gigantic amount of money to save a very few lives. Those lives ARE significant but a far better use of the limited cash the UK government has would be to promote more screening particularly in woman at higher risk like those involved in the sex industry, lower class woman, and immigrant woman who are far less likely to go for screening.

In the UK, Japan and other western countries death from cervical cancer is a socioeconomic problem.
Badsey at 10:31 AM JST - 30th September

It does make one wonder when they make use of these immunizations mandatory -or else you have the health police at your door. They really seem to be hype-ing the H1N1 also (with a ton of money and media behind it.

These "immunizations" only cover a few strains also = you can be "unlucky" and still get the virus/disease.

Being an adult, my immune system has made it this far -so rightfully I feel I should leave what is good alone. As a child I was immunized for MMR + tetanus though
Klein2 at 12:03 PM JST - 30th September

Whoa proxy. Granted that it is a socioeconomic problem, let's first get this straight. Just because young women are not as socioeconomically important as politicians and investment bankers does not mean that we should spend more to develop and market viagra than cancer preventing treatments.

And if you are going to say viagra is a good thing, then why not throw a few pennies to keep people from getting cancer from promiscuity? Oh. I forgot. They are women, not men, right? OK. Maybe I have misunderstood you, but my position is that preventing cancer is money well spent because the costs of cancer are enormous. I also think old people should die, but that is beside the point.

Pap smears are great and women should get them. But they will only tell you that you have a problem. They will not prevent anything. Consider also that training someone to administer a vaccine is probably a lot cheaper than 20 or 30 pap smears over the long run, too. Saves hospital visits too, one supposes. Labor saving makes a lot of sense in Japan.

Your data are very enlightening (Thank you!), but they are for DEATHS, not cases. Just because cervical cancer can be "cured" by cutting women open does not make it a minor issue. And yes, older women are less likely to get pap smears, so it sneaks up on them and kills them.

Considering that those 45 young women in the UK dying each year (-that must be hard, dying each year like that-) will earn about 2-3 million dollars each over the remainder of their lives, the program still pays for itself. Also consider that the loss from their deaths is an annual loss, while vaccination is a one "shot" deal, with a few more given to young people every year, one supposes. We will just add the foregone pain and suffering as the cherry on top of a good health policy.

Among some people, it is not popular to be in favor of socially favorable medicine, but the large numbers and the science and administration can really work together to improve life for everyone. History shows that.
studebaker at 12:12 PM JST - 30th September

This vaccine was available several years ago, but the Bush administration (during his first term) decided that allowing young girls to be immunized against a sexually transmitted disease would encourage them to be sexually active before marriage. Bush's administration's solution was the promise ring.
proxy at 12:36 PM JST - 30th September

Wow, klein, you are really misinformed.

If the government was paying for all men to get viagra, I would be the first to complain. Viagra is like getting a boob job, it should be paid out of one's own pocket.

The vaccine is not a cure, woman still need to get the same number of pap smears at the same cost and the vaccines do not last a lifetime and do not protect against all forms of cervical cancer.

And as a matter of fact pap smears DO prevent cancer. The act of having a pap smear actually stimulates the body's immune system to destroy precancerous cells before cancer develops in many woman.

It is NOT socially favorable medicine, it is just the opposite. Anyone who has already contracted the virus may be at a much greater risk of developing cervical cancer. If you go to a doctor with a cold, she will not give you a flu shot. Children that were infected with pap when they passed through the birth canal or girls that contracted it when they were molested should not be given the vaccine. Giving this to the victims of molestation is hardly a cherry on top, it is another slap in the face.
Wakarimasen at 01:28 PM JST - 30th September

After the girl in England dying, bet this gets postponed again. For "consideration"
kyolicious at 01:37 PM JST - 30th September

Proxy - would you like to explain exactly how poking a cervix with a really long q-tip causes the body to destroy pre-cancerous cells? I would be fascinated to know, since I can't find any evidence of this in medical literature.
proxy at 02:22 PM JST - 30th September

Try a book. Research has shown that a pap smear causes an inflammatory cytokine response, stimulating the immune system.
kirakira25 at 02:37 PM JST - 30th September

@kyolicious: Journal of Imflammation April 2007.

The link below is a news article about the research - pretty surprising but interesting too.

http://www.oncolink.org/resources/article.cfm?c=3&s=8&ss=23&Year=2007&Month=5&id=14201
kirakira25 at 02:38 PM JST - 30th September

Oop! Sorry that should be "Inflammation"!
Yelnats at 04:03 PM JST - 30th September

I do believe these virus also cause cancer in males. Are they developing a vaccine for guys too, or just let the women spread it around but be immune to the consequences?