HPV vaccine catch-up programme to be rolled out in schools ‘without delay’ – The Irish Times

A HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine catch-up programme is to be rolled out in schools “without delay” and could benefit 75,000 students, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said.

The programme for Government includes a commitment to extend the Laura Brennan HPV catch-up vaccination programme to anyone under 25 who missed the initial vaccination.

The first phase of the campaign will be aimed at those still in secondary school.

HPV is a group of viruses known to infect the genital area, the mouth and the throat. Last year the National Cancer Registry reported an estimated 641 cases of new HPV-associated cancers diagnosed and 196 cancer deaths every year in Ireland, most of which are potentially preventable by vaccination.

Women are twice as likely to die from such illnesses as men.

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill “has decided to introduce a schools-based HPV vaccine catch-up programme without delay”, Mr Harris said.

“This will give students who have previously been offered a HPV vaccine another opportunity to receive that vaccine.”

However, Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman said the vaccine would cost €600 for anyone who has already finished school.

Raising the issue in the Dáil this week he highlighted the case of 20-year-old Lucy, who missed the HPV vaccine when she was at school and who wants to take it up now.

“The cost of the initial appointment with a practice nurse, multiple shots and multiple GP visits to get those shots totals is €600. She is a third-level student. She does not have that level of disposable income.”

He asked: “Why does she have to fork out €600? Why does she have to pay for potentially life-saving shots when just six months ago the Government committed to rerunning the Laura Brennan HPV vaccine catch-up campaign?”

The Tánaiste said “the Minister is exploring opportunities to identify a suitable delivery model for those aged under 25 who have left school. In the meantime, it is important to have as many children of school-going age as possible vaccinated.”

When Mr O’Gorman said Lucy would not benefit from the programme the Tánaiste replied: “we have to start. Some 75,000 people will benefit from the catch-up programme.”

The vaccination programme is named after Clare woman Laura Brennan, who when diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer campaigned for young people to get vaccinated and described her disease as the “reality of an unvaccinated girl”. She died in 2019 at the age of 26.

It has been estimated that screening combined with HPV vaccination and cervical cancer treatment will result in the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in Ireland by 2040.

In a parliamentary reply in April on extending the programme to those up to the age of 24, Ms Carroll MacNeill said to eliminate cervical cancer, all countries must aim to ensure that 90 per cent of girls are vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15 years.

“As there are competing vaccination priorities and demand on resources is high, it is critical that any resources available are directed to where they can best be utilised to produce maximum clinical impact.”