By Robert Mangelsdorf, Maple Ridge News
October 27, 2007
While the B.C. Ministry of Health works the bugs out of the $40 million human papilloma virus vaccination program it announced last month, the vaccine it's considering to give to all female sixth graders starting in 2008 to prevent cervical cancer is available now in Maple Ridge through the Iron Horse youth clinic.
"It helps fight cervical cancer in the future and as far as I'm concerned, it's well worth kids getting," said Michelle Warrington, board member for Maple Ridge's Options for Sexual Health, which helps run the clinic.
HPV is the name given to a group of sexually transmitted viruses that can infect the genital area and lead to cervical cancer in women. While most infections are quickly taken care of by the body's immune system, only women with a history of HPV infection have been known to develop cervical cancer.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, more than 1,300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and close to 400 die from it.
The drug Gardasil acts as a vaccine against four strains of HPV known to cause cervical cancer, as well as genital warts.
Warrington, who is also a registered nurse, said that girls should ideally be vaccinated with Gardasil between the ages of 11 and 13 years old.
"We want to start young before they are sexually active," she said.
The government's mandatory vaccination program will be free of charge and is part of a larger $258 million federal strategy announced in March.
However, the vaccination program has drawn criticism, namely for the speed at which the drug was approved.
"Some people are just against all immunizations and the side effects they can cause," said Warrington.
"But [the side effects] are far outweighed by the negative effects of not having it."
Gardasil was approved for use by women aged nine to 26 last year by Health Canada.
The drug was developed by Merck pharmaceuticals, makers of the arthritis drug Vioxx, which was withdrawn in 2004 after it was found to pose unacceptable cardiovascular risks.
In 2005, the company was held liable for the death of a Texas man who was prescribed the drug and was ordered to pay more than $250 million in damages.
• The Iron Horse youth clinic is open from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Greg Moore Youth Centre.
