HPV vaccination in Malaysia relevant

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination programme to prevent cervical cancer among 13-year-old schoolgirls in Malaysia is relevant.

In a statement here Saturday, the Health Ministry said according to the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 12 out of 38, or 34 percent of Malaysian women tested were positive with cancer-related HPV types.

"This is a large proportion of the 10 million women in Malaysia, aged 20 and above; hence, it makes the HPV vaccination programme even more relevant," it said.

On Wednesday, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) urged the ministry to review the HPV vaccine jab programme to prevent cervical cancer among 13-year-old schoolgirls. The programme began in 2010.

CAP president SM Mohamed Idris said the Gardasil and Cervarix vaccines currently used could only protect four out of the 40 types of HPV that cancer-related.

The ministry said it was well known that the HPV16 and HPV18 were responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases worldwide, and this was consistent with the findings in Malaysia which was 74 percent.

"Thus, the HPV vaccination programme is expected to reduce the cervical cancer occurence by 70 percent, while another 30 percent of cervical cancer may be caused by other factors such as other sub-types of the HPV, sexual behaviour, oral contraceptive and smoking," it said.

It also clarified that protection against HPV16 and HPV18 would last longer and not just for four years from the age of 13 to 17, as stated by SM Mohamed.