HPV vaccine might be met with resistance

Girls in Grade 6 are bringing home an extra consent form as the provincial Ministry of Health introduces the human papillomavirus vaccine in Saskatchewan school divisions.

"The priority (is) for girls between the ages of 9 and 13, particularly because that would be the age at which they had yet to be exposed to HPV," said Dr. Shauna Hudson, a medical health officer for the Ministry of Health.

The immunization program will be put in place as a partnership between school divisions and health districts and like previous vaccinations, it is optional. This vaccine is creating more conversation than others because HPV is sexually transmitted only.

Most Grade 6 girls are not yet sexually active, one of the reasons the vaccination is targeted at this age group.

"We know in Saskatchewan that just over 13 per cent of teenagers become sexually active between the ages of 12-14," said Hudson.

The HPV vaccine, Gardasil, is effective for four strains out of 100. However, these four strains are associated with 70 per cent of cases of cervical cancer and 90 per cent of cases of genital warts.

"The actual goal of the HPV immunization is to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer and genital warts due to the HPV infection," said Wanda Atcheson, manager of public health nursing in the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region.

Three doses of the vaccine, which cost $170 each, will be delivered over 6 months to the girls who have consent forms signed.

Saskatchewan Rivers School Division and Prince Albert Catholic schools have sent information packages home, some as early as the end of the last school year.

"In a perfect world everybody should have this, but (there are) some parents who find it somewhat offensive," said Allan Nun, a superintendent with Saskatchewan Rivers.

"Ethically, some parents are not going to like it because they are going to say, 'That's not my daughter. My daughter is not going to be sexually active,' " he said.

The information packages sent from Prince Albert Catholic schools' administration included a letter from the bishop alongside the information from the health region.

"Bottom line is the parents are encouraged to inform themselves not only on the proposed benefits but the significant limitations of the information known to date," said Tim Jelinski, director of education for the Catholic school division.

Jelinski says the letter cites concerns with not having more information provided. It suggests a false sense of security is created when only 70 per cent of HPV infections are stopped and the vaccine doesn't affect other sexually transmitted infections.

A national advisory on immunizations, made up of pediatricians, public health specialists, and infection disease specialists recommended the vaccine.

"They don't recommend vaccines lightly," said Atcheson.

But, she says some controversy is expected with all new vaccinations.

Funding for the vaccinations came from a federal government announcement in March 2007. The provincial Ministry of Health held off starting the program until they received all the information regarding the vaccine. Because of this delay, Grade 7 girls will also have the option of being vaccinated during the 2008/09 school year only.

At the end of the three-year period the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health will begin funding the program.

Dr. Leo Lanoie, a medical health officer with the local health region, says in addition to the HPV vaccine, one of the most effective ways of preventing cervical cancer is for all sexually active women to have regular pap smears.

ahill@paherald.sk.ca