Scots teenagers first to test cervical cancer vaccine
Published: November 20, 2005
YOUNG Scottish women have become the first in the UK to be given a controversial vaccine designed to eradicate cervical cancer. [See: Cancer jab available in a year]
Scotland on Sunday can reveal that 360 young women from Glasgow were chosen for clinical trials because of the city’s high levels of underage sex and related sexual health problems.
Aged between 16 and 23, the women are the only patients in the UK to be given Gardasil, the first vaccine in the world to provide protection against the cancer. It works by giving women immunity to different types of a sexually transmitted virus that causes around 70% of cervical cancers. [What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about HPV and Abnormal Pap Smears]
A high level of sexual activity greatly increases the risk of cervical cancer, so Glasgow was chosen to test the vaccine, which if approved for general use could help save thousands of lives every year.
Despite health experts calling for urgent action to tackle Scotland’s poor sexual health record, the vaccine faces fierce opposition as the manufacturers say it is vastly more effective if given to patients before they are sexually active and should therefore be prescribed to girls as young as 10.
Details of the trial emerged after executives from drugs firm Sanofi Pasteur MSD met with officials from the Scottish Executive health department last week to brief them about the new vaccine.
Recent figures from the National Cancer Intelligence Centre revealed that most regions of Scotland had incidence rates of up to a third higher than the national average.
In Scotland, more than 500 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and around 100 die. [Crying in the Shower - Cervical Cancer]
High levels of underage sex have also alarmed public health experts who fear it is helping to fuel the spread of the virus. More than 30% of girls aged 15 are already sexually active.
“So far the vaccine has been 100% effective,” said Dr Gordon Crawford of Glasgow-based CPS Research, which ran the trial. “We haven’t seen anyone given the vaccine test positive for pre-cancerous cells. This trial was part of a much bigger worldwide study looking at the effectiveness of the vaccine, and our results have been reflected elsewhere.”
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