U-turn as 30,000 schoolgirls to get cervical cancer jab

UP TO 30,000 schoolgirls will be vaccinated free of charge against cervical cancer later this year following a dramatic reversal of Government policy.

Yesterday Health Minister Mary Harney said the vaccination programme was now possible because drug companies had agreed to lower their prices for the vaccine against a backdrop of changed market conditions.

Ms Harney said the cost of the programme, including vaccine and administration costs, was originally €16 million but this had been “slashed substantially” to €3m.

As a result, the vaccine will be offered to all first-year secondary school students. The vaccinations will start “before the Summer” – which is approximately 20 months later than originally envisaged; however there will be no “catch-up” programme for older school girls because the Government cannot afford it, Ms Harney said. The Government’s previous decision to scrap the vaccination programme in November 2008 caused consternation and was described by Dr Jim McDaid, who lost the Fianna Fáil party whip, as a “death sentence” for certain 12-year-olds. Yesterday Fine Gael Health spokesman, James O’Reilly, said: “A wrong has been righted and lives will be saved.” Ms Harney also announced plans to roll out a national screening programme for colorectal cancer in 2012, on a phased basis, starting with men and women aged 60-69. It is the first time a national cancer screening programme will extend to men.

Ms Harney said the decision not to roll it out before 2012 was because of the need for significant preparatory work including staff training, the development of colonoscopy facilities and the development of a system for the provision of test kits. Those being screened will be sent a test kit and return a sample for examination. Ms Harney said they would be embarking on a public awareness campaign as part of drive to encourage participation.

Ms Harney made her announcements on the same day as the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) published a report which concluded that introducing a colorectal cancer screening programme in Ireland would save approximately 300 lives per year.

HIQA – an independent body tasked with driving quality in the health service – was tasked by Ms Harney with examining the feasibility of introducing a colorectal cancer screening programme within existing resources. HIQA has proposed an alternative model to that proposed by the National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) which oversees BreastCheck and Cervical Check. HIQA estimates its model, based on existing facilities, would eliminate the €13m capital investment envisaged in the NCSS model. HIQA also believes cost savings could be made in BreastCheck and Cervical Check and the savings used to resource colorectal screening. It says these savings could be made by:

- Reducing by €10 the unit cost of providing cervical cancer screening and assessment, saving €3 million.

- By getting private health insurers to fund 50% of colonoscopies and CT colonography resulting in cost savings of €2m to €4m (the benefits to insurers would include a potential reduction in the costs of procedures and in costs of future colorectal cancer treatment).

- €1 million one-off donation by the Irish Cancer Society, accepted yesterday by Ms Harney.

HIQA also recommends using existing administrative resources within the NCSS for the new programme.

NCSS chief Tony O’Brien said population screening for colorectal cancer “has the potential to be one of the most effective public health interventions in the history of the Irish healthcare system”. He said screening could detect pre-cancerous tumours and was “therefore a true cancer preventative health measure”.

The NCSS also published its Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Cervical Screening yesterday.