Parents uncertain of new jab
The success of a new national vaccination programme for young girls may hinge on how well their parents are briefed by PCTs about the vaccine’s dosing schedule and its long-term safety.
By Norma Beavers
The success of a new national vaccination programme for young girls may hinge on how well their parents are briefed by PCTs about the vaccine’s dosing schedule and its long-term safety.
From September PCTs will offer all girls in the UK aged between 12 and 13 years (Year eight) the vaccination, which prevents two types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that are sexually transmitted and associated with about 70 per cent of cervical cancers. It is hoped the vaccine will protect young girls against cervical cancer when they become sexually active later in life. Currently cervical cancer affects about 3,000 British women each year, some of whom are in their twenties. About 1,000 women die from the disease every year. These figures could change dramatically over time if young girls are vaccinated before they become sexually active.
A fast-tracked study published by the British Medical Journal finds seven in 10 girls are likely to be vaccinated against HPV when the £100 million national UK vaccination programme is launched. The Manchester-based pilot study was led by researchers from the University of Manchester. For the study two Manchester PCTs agreed to deliver the vaccine to girls at all secondary schools in the PCT’s catchment area.
The study looked at whether the vaccine will be accepted by enough parents to ensure the success of a national UK-wide immunisation programme, and how easy it is to deliver such a programme to girls aged 12-13.
Researchers said the main reason given by parents for refusing to allow vaccination was insufficient information about the vaccine and its long-term safety (36 per cent). Only a few parents mentioned the age for vaccination (10 per cent) or the vaccine’s possible effect on adolescent sexual behaviour (three per cent). Twenty per cent of parents in the study refused the vaccine but gave no reason for their decision. More work is needed to understand why parents refuse permission and the practical barriers to providing consent, researchers said.
The Manchester PCTs offered the HPV vaccine to 2, 817 girls aged between 12 and 13 attending 36 secondary schools. Parents were fully informed about the study and were invited to information evenings so they could be briefed and given an opportunity to ask questions. Parents were asked to give their consent for vaccination or, if they refused, to give their reasons for declining.
In order for the vaccine to be fully effective three doses are needed at the start of the immunisation programme, one month later and six months after the initial dose was given. The vaccine costs more than £300 for all three doses. Researchers reported that 1, 989 (70.6 per cent) received the first dose and 1, 930 the second (68.5 per cent).
Delivering the vaccination was difficult because the doses needed to be delivered at the start of the academic year when schools were busy, and because a significant number of girls missed the appointment times for their first and second doses (16.3 per cent and 23.6 per cent respectively) they had to be rescheduled to have the vaccination.
Researchers concluded: “These are encouraging results for the forthcoming national HPV vaccine programme but the final criterion for success will be the proportion of girls who receive all three vaccine doses.”