British Columbia Approves Program Expected To Provide HPV Vaccination Program, Health Minister Says

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 26 Sep 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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The Canadian province of British Columbia has approved a human papillomavirus vaccination program, but many details of the program still need to be resolved, Health Minister George Abbott said Thursday, the CP/CNews reports (CP/CNews, 9/20).

The Canadian government in March announced that it is including about $258 million in the 2007-2008 budget to help pay for provincial HPV vaccination programs. Canada's health ministry, Health Canada, last year approved Gardasil for girls and women ages nine to 26. Gardasil in clinical trials has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases, and about 99% effective in preventing HPV strains 6 and 11, which together with HPV strains 16 and 18 cause about 90% of genital wart cases, among women not already infected with these strains.

According to a spokesperson for B.C.'s Ministry of Health, the national government recommended providing 40 million Canadian dollars, or about $38 million, over three years for B.C.'s program. Perry Kendall, B.C.'s medical health officer, has said that girls in the sixth and ninth grades could begin receiving the vaccines at no cost in September 2008 because there already are provincial vaccine programs for the grades. Kendall added that no vaccine in the province is mandatory and that parents can opt their daughters out of the program (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/9).

Abbott said he expects the vaccine would be provided to girls in sixth and ninth grades but did not know whether the program would eventually cover all young girls in the province. He added that some of the details to be resolved are the "point at which the initial vaccinations are undertaken, what point in the school year and at what school level the vaccinations would take place" (CP/CNews, 9/20).

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