In Germany, the Standing Commission for Vaccination is recommending that all girls between the ages of 12 and 17 be vaccinated against the Human papilloma virus which causes precancerous and cancerous lesions. About 70 per cent of cervical tumours are caused by the papilloma 16 and papilloma 17 viruses.
Some three million teenage girls in Germany are to be urged to take part in a mass vaccination campaign to help to stamp out cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer kills around 17,000 women a year in industrialised countries which, thanks to systematic smear tests, is significantly lower than the 218,000 victims in developing nations. Despite relatively low death rates in the West, German doctors say mass vaccination should be deployed.
I think this is a bloody good idea, and one which should be followed across Europe. The course of three injections, costing €150 (about £100) each could mark the beginning of the end of the smear test.
Here is the article from the Times: Cervical cancer jabs for girls of 12
