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Roll Out of Cervical Cancer Vaccination
posted on 08/10/2008

A vaccination programme to protect against the virus that causes most types of cervical cancer is currently being rolled out across Wales this autumn.

All 12 and 13 year old girls in Wales are to be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus(HPV). This programme will offer protection to about 20,000 girls in Wales. The Assembly Government has also announced a two year catch- up vaccination programme, which will commence in Autumn 2009 and will protect another 40,000 girls.

I have raised this issue in the Assembly on a number of occasions and as such I fully welcome the implementation of this programme. However it is important to remember that the vaccine will not prevent all cervical cancers, the vaccine currently being offered protects against 70 per cent of cervical cancers.

Today I asked the Health Minister to ensure that girls who are vaccinated against the HPV viruses are followed through as they get older to ensure that they take up all the options for cervical screening and not to rely on the vaccination alone as protection against cancer.