Senator Phil Prendergast

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HARNEY U-TURN ON CERVICAL CANCER VACCINE VERY WELCOME

Issued : Friday 15 January, 2010

Today’s announcement by Health Minister Mary Harney that she will after all roll out a cervical cancer vaccine programme starting this year, is a most welcome u-turn.

When the Minister first announced the scheme in August 2008, we welcomed it as a positive measure that would save many lives, and was astounded when she scrapped it just a couple of months later.

That decision was a retrograde step, and came as a massive disappointment to parents who were concerned for the health of their daughters, so today’s about-turn represents some positive news at last.

Minister Harney claimed today that she has only been able to do this as a result of getting a better deal from the vaccine manufacturers. She said that she spoke to the pharmaceutical companies in early December and that they came back to her in the meantime with quotes that were far below anything that they had offered previously.

She should be applauded for squeezing a better deal from these companies, but the question now arises, that if she was able to play hardball with these multi-national companies in December 2009, why was she not able to do so in October 2008? The delay means that tens of thousands of girls who should have been given the vaccine, have been forced to go without.

I also believe that we need a catch-up programme, which would allow those girls who may not be in first year in school, but who are still young enough to receive the vaccine, to do so, and I was disappointed to hear the Minister rule that out today.

When you consider that this cancer claims the life of about 100 women every year, this is inexplicable.