Cancer jabs for 13-year-old girls

A PIONEERING Government programme to vaccinate young women against two strains of the virus responsible for most cervical cancer cases is being rolled out in Oldham in September.

The Department of Health announced last year the introduction of a vaccine to protect against the sexually transmitted Human Papillomavirus (HPV) as part of childhood immunisation programme.

The vaccination will be delivered through schools and offered to all girls in year eight (aged 12-13), with a two-year catch-up programme starting in September 2009.

The HPV virus is the cause of 99 per cent of cervical cancer cases and the vaccine protects against two strains of the virus, which are responsible for 70 per cent of cases.

About 2,700 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and more than 1,000 will die from it. The school teams will provide the child health department and GP practices with a timetable for all sessions, and to provide information if parents or pupils have any questions.

Director of public health Alan Higgins said: “It is important we take all possible steps to help people avoid cancers and specifically, in this case, cervical cancers.”




THE PCT has launched a five-year plan to tackle killer diseases which claim the lives of hundreds of Oldhamers each year.



Cancer, respiratory disease and vascular disease will be at the forefront of the plan, which will be implemented next April.

Oldhamers over the age of 75 have a 14 per cent higher chance of dying from cancer than the national average and lung cancer deaths put Oldham PCT in the bottom 10 per cent in the country.

Death rates from vascular disease in the over 75s are 53 per cent higher than the national average, while mortality rates from respiratory disease place Oldham in the bottom 10 percent of PCTS nationally.

Alan Higgins, director of public health in Oldham, said: “These types of diseases are always a big focus for the PCT, but this is very concentrated drive and the PCT will continue to work hard to provide an excellent service for people who suffer from all other conditions while this plan is being implemented.”

The moves come after PCTs across the country were asked by the department of health to set out their priorities for the next five years.

Other issues to make the shortlist of priorities in Oldham were reducing the numbers of smokers, preventing and treating alcohol misuse, improved management of mental health services, reducing infant mortality and improving quality and access to primary and community health services.