8,000 back cancer vaccine on Facebook

AN online public campaign to reinstate the anti-cancer vaccine for schoolgirls is attracting widespread attention, with hundreds of supporters joining daily.

A group on the social networking website Facebook has attracted nearly 8,000 members in its bid to reverse the controversial government decision to abandon the vaccine.

The internet group is targeting Mary Harney, insisting the Health Minister must go back on her decision not to give the cervical cancer vaccine free of charge to 12 year olds.

The group’s founder Shauneen Armstrong said she had been overwhelmed by the public’s interest in the campaign.

Ms Armstrong has worked with the Labour Party for five years but says a number of members from different political parties, including Fianna Fáil, have signed up to the protest group.

She is also the mother of a 16-year-old girl.

“When I started it, I didn’t want people to think it is a Labour Party campaign. It’s about our daughters, about protecting their future.

“We have new members joining all the time. I’ve been blown away by how quickly the group has grown,” Ms Armstrong said.

The Facebook group is planning a candle light vigil outside the Dáil in the next fortnight and has been growing by several hundred members daily since it was set up on November 12.

By yesterday evening, some 7,900 members had joined the ‘Harney must reinstate cervical cancer vaccine’ group.

The bid to reinstate the vaccine has also attracted contributions from women treated for the cancer.

Ms Harney said the €10 million-€15m needed for the scheme would go towards a cervical cancer screening programme.

The country’s three biggest health service trade unions met last week to try and broker a cost-cutting plan to rescue the vaccine.

IMPACT, SIPTU and the Irish Nurses Organisation are believed to be keen about finding savings in the €16 billion health budget for the health initiative.