This new service will widen the availability of the two licensed HPV vaccines, one of which will be offered to girls aged 12-13 years in schools through the Department of Health (DH) immunisation programme. DH also has planned a ‘catch up’ campaign starting next year for girls up to the age of 18. The minimum age to receive the vaccination is nine years old.
The BMI Healthcare hospitals’ vaccination service will enhance this national drive to tackle the burdensome diseases caused by HPV by:
• Providing self-pay patients a choice of either of the two licensed vaccines - Cervarix® which can protect against 70% of cervical cancer or Gardasil® which can protect against 70% of cervical cancer and 90% of genital warts
• Making the vaccines available to young women up to the age of 26
• Making the vaccines available to boys as well as girls aged up to 15. If men are vaccinated against HPV in addition to women, then the amount of HPV within the population will decrease because the risk of males transmitting the virus to females is reduced. In boys, the vaccine is available to protect against genital warts, which can develop as a result of HPV infection
“Among sexually active young adults, up to 46 per cent currently have HPV . It is also estimated that 80% of sexually active women will become infected with HPV by the age of 30 .
Meanwhile, each year in the UK, over 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer – which is mainly caused by HPV – and 1,000 die from the condition ,” commented Miss Leila Hanna, Consultant Gynaecologist at BMI The Sloane and BMI Chelsfield Park Hospitals. “Despite efforts to educate the public to use condoms, it’s an unfortunate fact that people still have unprotected sex and at an increasingly younger age, so it’s important that young people and parents know that they can get added protection against this ubiquitous virus.”
“Boys could also benefit from an HPV vaccination. HPV causes genital warts – the most common sexually transmitted infection, which can be painful to treat. HPV can also cause other male cancers, a fact that many parents may not be aware of,” she added.
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About BMI The Sloane Hospital, BMI Chelsfield Park Hospital and BMI Fawkham Manor Hospital
BMI The Sloane Hospital, BMI Chelsfield Park Hospital and BMI Fawkham Manor Hospital are part of BMI Healthcare, the UK’s largest private hospital group with more than 50 acute care hospitals nationwide performing more complex surgery than any other private healthcare provider in the country. Our commitment is to quality and value, providing facilities for advanced surgical procedures together with friendly, professional care.
For further information about BMI Healthcare, please visit http://www.bmihealthcare.co.uk
