UAE | Health
Dubai plans cervical cancer vaccine for women
Gardasil, a vaccine manufactured by Merck, Sharpe and Dohme (MSD), is available to prevent the disease but needs to be administered at a young age.
- By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:09 July 8, 2008
Dubai: Dubai is planning a cervical cancer vaccination and screening programme.
Gardasil, a vaccine manufactured by Merck, Sharpe and Dohme (MSD), is available to prevent the disease but needs to be administered at a young age.
Dr Awatef Al Bahar, consultant gynaecologist and head of department at Dubai Hospital, told Gulf News after the launch of a cervical cancer awareness campaign that the programme would make the vaccine available to all women above the age of 20.
"It won't be mandatory, but if the woman wants it, she can have it," she said.
She said the programme, which requires doctors to discuss vaccination and screening with their patients, was in the final stages of approval.
She added the vaccine would be made available to women until the age of 40.
On June 25, the US Food and Drug Administration refused MSD's application to market the vaccine for older women, aged between 27 to 40.
Meanwhile, schoolgirls will not be getting cervical cancer vaccines anytime soon. "We're not going to do it in schools. The schoolchildren immunisation programme is still under study," said Dr Awatef.
The Health Ministry, which has jurisdiction in the Northern Emirates, is studying including the vaccine in the National Immunisation Programme.
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