Capital Health officials encouraging young women to get vaccinated

Capital Health officials are urging virgin to get vaccinated against human papillomavirus, a common sexually transmitted disease linked to cervical cancer.

Until the province decides whether to fund a vaccination program, Capital Health is administering Gardasil shots at $175 a pop. It takes three doses for women to be fully vaccinated. The vaccine can also be prescribed by a physician.

It’s licensed for use on girls aged nine to 26 and is especially recommended for those who are virgins.

The drug has been endorsed by the National Advisory Committee on Immunisation, which in January recommended that all virgin girls aged nine to 13 get immunized.

“Our hope is that this vaccine decreases the incidence of cervical cancer by more than 70%,” Dr. Marcia Johnson, deputy medical officer of health for Capital Health, told Sun Media.

She said of the more than 100 strains of HPV, two are known to cause cervical cancer. Gardasil protects against those two strains, plus two others.

“HPV infection is tremendously common among women who are sexually active,” Johnson said.

An estimated 75% of women will become infected with it during their lifetime. The virus is cleared within a year or two by all but 10% of them.

“It’s that 10% who are most at risk of cervical cancer,” Johnson said.

About 400 women per year die from cervical cancer in Canada.

It kills an estimated 290,000 women annually worldwide.

Johnson also reminded all sexually active women to go for annual pap smears.

Source : www.edmontonsun.com