Immunisation

The First Minister: Uptake of the 5-in-1 vaccine for two-year-olds remains around the 95 per cent target. Uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is at 86 per cent for one-year-olds and 90 per cent for five-year olds.

Lorraine Barrett: Thank you for that information. Today is Community Pharmacy Day in the Senedd and community pharmacies can play an important role in national immunisation programmes. At some point, can we be provided with information on the uptake of the human papillomavirus vaccine programme, which is being rolled out to 12 and 13-year-olds across Wales through their schools? Will you ensure that, as part of this vaccination programme, the message is given to young women that they must continue to go for cervical screening, and not rely on the vaccine, although that is important?

The First Minister: My understanding is that the human papillomavirus vaccine is a brilliant step forward in progress but that it protects against only one or two types of cervical cancer. Therefore, continued vigilance by the woman herself and primary care services is essential to ensure that the other types of cervical cancer, for which the papillomavirus vaccine is not a protection, are detected as early as possible.