A catchup programme for those who missed out on the HPV vaccine could help hundreds of lives. 

Last year, there were 641 people diagnosed with a cancer associated with the HPV virus and 196 deaths. 

Tánaiste Simon Harris has announced a catchup programme for school children who missed their initial opportunity. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, pharmacist Sheena Mitchell said there had been a “really good uptake” when the vaccine first became available in 2010. 

However, in the years after that uptake plummeted. 

“First of all, in 2015, there was a bit of a misinformation campaign which wasn’t deceitful, it was just purely down to a lack of information,” she explained. 

“All of that has since been disproved and the HSE, as far as I can see, has been working hard to reinstate that confidence in this vaccine. 

“They’re done a good job on that and they had the challenge of COVID, which means that basically after all of this, we’re back up to 84% coverage. 

“We do need to keep improving and getting it up to 90%.” 

A woman receives an HPV vaccination. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Ms Mitchell continued that there is now a “large cohort of people” who are unvaccinated and could potentially be diagnosed with cancer at some point in the future.   

“In Ireland, we have about 640 HPV associated cancers diagnosed every year and, sadly, around 196 deaths,” she said.  

“So, I think it’s really prudent and important that this is rolled out. 

“My only concern is that at the moment it seems to be just going to be offered to those who are in secondary school - which will help definitely those who missed out due to COVID, if they were in the first year of secondary school when COVID happened.

“For those who may have suffered as a result of the misinformation in 2015, they’re going already to have left school and be in college or [just] after.

“So, I think it’s really important that it’s rapidly rolled out to the under 25s.” 

'Really, really effective'

Ms Mitchell urged the Government to consider a vaccination programme using community pharmacies. 

“We have a lot of vaccinators now,” she said. 

“That’s the one positive thing that came out of COVID; we have the capacity to really make these immunisations accessible. 

“And to answer people’s concerns and questions.” 

Ms Mitchell concluded that nearly 200 deaths a year is “very hard to swallow” given many are preventable.  

“So, I definitely, highly, urge people to go get it,” she said.  

“This vaccine is safe and it is really, really effective.”

The HSE has stated that there are no long-term side effects whatsoever from the HPV vaccine.

Main image: A teenage girl receives a vaccine. Picture by: Sipa USA / Alamy Stock Photo