The Fiji Cancer Society is concerned about the revelation that the Health Ministry had decided to withhold information on the Human Papilloma Virus or (HPV) vaccine, which is being used to immunize girls from 9 to 12 years in Fiji.
Cancer Society representative and breast cancer survivor Mereoni Taginadavui is concerned that the ministry is saying the vaccine, Gardasil, which is being used, is safe although its long term side effects are not known at this stage.
She also said it is cruel for the Health Ministry to leave out the information in their pamphlets distributed to parents that Gardasil is still in its post marketing surveillance period as some drugs have been taken off the shelves during this period.
The National Adviser for Family Health Doctor Josaia Samuela said Gardasil had already gone through the clinical tests and it has been proven that the vaccine prevents infection from HPV.
He said HPV can cause cervical cancer and parents of the girls between the ages of 9 and 12 years should give their consent to have their daughters vaccinated as it will assist in the prevention of cancer of the cervix.
But Doctor Samuela admitted that the vaccine, Gardasil is still new and its long term effects are still unknown.
The Cancer Society's Mereoni Taginadavui also revealed that she had come across an 18 year old girl who has gone through all the three shots of Gardisil to prevent cervical cancer and had serious side effects.
Taginadavui said the Health Ministry and all the stakeholders should concentrate on educating people on the cause of cervical cancer as 99 percent of the cases are caused by multiple sex partners.
Fijicillage had received confirmation that the vaccine, Gardasil was received by Fiji as a donation due to its short term shelf life from the drug company, Merck. Merck has given Fiji a total of 111,000 vaccines valued at US$13.9 million.
According to the Food and Drug Administration in the US which approved Gardisal, it said in a letter dated June 8th, 2006, to Merck that the final study protocol was to be submitted by December 31st, 2006, patient accrual completed by December 2008, the study to be completed by June 30th, 2009 with the final study report to be submitted by September 30th next year.
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