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Prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccination update
Author(s) -
Fiander Alison
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the obstetrician and gynaecologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1744-4667
pISSN - 1467-2561
DOI - 10.1576/toag.11.2.133.27488
Subject(s) - vaccination , human papillomavirus , medicine , family medicine , ethical issues , hpv vaccines , human papillomavirus vaccine , gynecology , public health , cervical cancer , hpv infection , immunology , gardasil , cancer , nursing , engineering , engineering ethics
• Prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was implemented in the UK in 2008 for girls aged 12–13 years. • There is a ‘catch‐up’ programme for girls up to the age of 18 years. • The bivalent vaccine (Cervarix®), covering HPV 16 and 18 was chosen for the first 3 years of the UK vaccination programme. • Surveillance is essential to evaluate long‐term effectiveness and answer the remaining questions.Learning objectives:• To be aware of the implementation of HPV vaccination in the UK. • To be aware of remaining unanswered questions and the need for surveillance. • To understand the importance of key messages for girls being vaccinated against HPV.Ethical issues:• Will HPV vaccination of girls in the UK be acceptable to everyone? • Have the key public health messages been clearly stated and understood? • Addressing the major burden of HPV‐related neoplasia in developing countries is an ethical imperative.Please cite this article as: Fiander A. Prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccination update. The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist 2009;11:133–135.