Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 January 2010
275 Deputy Seán Ardagh asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will confirm that the human papillomavirus cervical vaccine will continue free of charge into the future; the age group that will be targeted; if it will be extended to include girls from first to sixth year in secondary school; if it is planned to include girls in sixth class primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3120/10]
View answerRecently I requested the HSE to initiate a tendering process for the procurement of a HPV vaccine with a view to commencing a HPV vaccination programme for all girls in first year in secondary school. This tendering process for the vaccine is now complete. We can now purchase the vaccine at a price much lower than we expected to pay in 2008 and at a price much closer to what is being paid in other countries. In these circumstances, the programme can now be delivered from the extra resources committed in this year's budget to the overall Cancer Programme. The HSE is committed to starting this campaign during the current school year. This will involve the free vaccination of up to 30,000 girls mainly in school settings and an announcement of the details of the full programme involved will be made by the HSE in the near future. The programme will continue with vaccine being offered to all girls in first year in secondary school each year but it is not proposed to extend the vaccination programme to other classes at present.
