Moynihan concerned over low HPV vaccine uptake
Labour Party General Election candidate for Dublin South-Central, Councillor Rebecca Moynihan, has urged the parents of girls due to get the HPV vaccine this September to educate themselves on the benefits of the vaccine.
It comes as the Irish Cancer Society expressed concern over a drop in the uptake of the vaccine among girls in first year in secondary schools.
Councillor Moynihan commented:
“This September, more than 30,000 girls are due to receive the HPV vaccine. Due to a large misinformation campaign, medical groups are rightly worried that we will see another dramatic fall in the uptake of the vaccination.
“We cannot have another situation like last year, where the uptake dropped by 35%. The Irish Cancer Society estimate that 40 women will die because of the non-uptake of the vaccine last year.
“The facts cannot be ignored – the HPV vaccine protects against two types of HPV, which cause 73% of all cervical cancers.
“Parents should inform themselves about this vaccine from trusted, medical sources such as their local GP.
“A higher uptake of the vaccine, combined with regular CervicalCheck screenings from the age of 25, are important measures in the prevention of certain types of cervical cancer.”