Cervical Cancer Vaccine for every woman for only 300 euros.

Nevyn

*Dear mods sorry for the cross posing but I think it's important this gets seen
by as many people as possible.*

I was told something really stunning yesterday.

There is a medical clinic in Dublin city center who think that the Cervical Cancer Vaccine is so important that every woman should have it that they are
offering the course of the 3 injection at cost.

Meaning they are refusing to make any profit on it and are not adding stipulations about a woman having to be a virgin to receive it.

So the vaccine will then cost 300 euros rather then the 600 which is being charged by other providers.

http://www.chartermedical.ie/cervical-cancer-vaccinations

Cervical Cancer Vaccinations

Charter Medical Group
is an approved
Cervical Cancer Vaccination Centre.

Phone (01) 6579000 to arrange your appointment.

Charter Medical Group Health & Wellness Department is now offering Cervical Cancer Vaccination on a not for profit basis.

Charter considers this vaccine to be one of the most important vaccines developed recently and we believe it should be available to the widest population of young women. With this in mind Charter Medical Group will be providing this critical vaccine on a “not for profit” basis with a full course of Cervarix®, consisting of three injections administered for €300.

Charter’s offer is available to girls over ten years of age. Our Clinical staff will happily answer any queries when booking your appointment. Cervarix® vaccination requires three consecutive injections over a six month period.

Finally people who know how important this is stepping forward.
A vaccine against cancer which saves lives should be put in the reach
as much as possible for every woman.

Please pass this info on to women that you know and let them know about this.

hobochris

Is this for real? if so I'm gonna get the other half to get it.

DrIndy

This is welcome - despite the fact it should actually be available free of charge.

Remember though, this does NOT obviate the need for smear tests - it just protects against the commonest and most dangerous virus.

moretothegirl

thanks for all your info guys, i think im gonna get one so, just to be safe

eth0_

hobochris wrote: »

Is this for real? if so I'm gonna get the other half to get it.

There is almost NO POINT in having this vaccination if you have already been sexually active.

It is aimed at young girls for a reason. I sincerely hope this clinic is making this clear to adult women who are asking for the vaccine.

Also - 300 euro is 'cost price'? I doubt that very much.

tallaght01

eth0_ wrote: »

There is almost NO POINT in having this vaccination if you have already been sexually active.

It is aimed at young girls for a reason. I sincerely hope this clinic is making this clear to adult women who are asking for the vaccine.

Also - 300 euro is 'cost price'? I doubt that very much.

There's no point in having the vaccine if you've been exposed to HPV. That's different to having been sexually active.

AmcD

Ok, I am being devil's advocate. Here are my concerns:

1. The charter medical group is a business first and foremost. It is not motivated by altruism and public good. If it was, it could do a lot more good by stopping people smoking (give out free champix, have loads of free smoking cessation counsellors etc). Incidentally being a non-smoker lowers your risk of abnormal smears.

2. Why are they offering cervarix and not gardasil? At least gardasil will offer some coverage against genital warts too. This would be more value for money.

3. These vaccines are really only effective if given before a person is sexually active. There is only very limited evidence that it is useful once a person has been exposed to HPV/been sexually active. It could help prevent abnormal smears only if the person in question had been exposed to HPV 16 for example, but had not yet been exposed to HPV 18. Gardasil and Cervarix both protect against HPV 16 and 18. I hope Charter medical group make this clear to the sexually active women in their twenties, who will inevitably enquire about the vaccine.

4. HPV 16 and 18 are associated with 70% of cervical cancers. The other 30% are not going to be prevented by vaccine. Regular smear tests will still need to be done

5. Viruses and bacteria evolve. If we knock out HPV 16 and 18, could other oncogenic (cancer-causing) subtypes take over?

6. There is only about five years followup to date. How long will this protection last? Are boosters needed?

7. The inverse law of health economics will definitely apply. Those in most need of the vaccine are least likely to get it. Smokers from lower socio-economic groups who have had multiple partners at a young age are less likely to find the money for the vaccine.

The_Minister

AmcD wrote: »

1. The charter medical group is a business first and foremost. It is not motivated by altruism and public good. If it was, it could do a lot more good by stopping people smoking (give out free champix, have loads of free smoking cessation counsellors etc). Incidentally being a non-smoker lowers your risk of abnormal smears.

Firstly, business =/= evil. Just because they are a private company doesn't mean that they cannot have charitable motivations.
Secondly, it gets more people through their doors, makes a name for themselves, and generates allot of goodwill. Since they are a private group, and they don't have to set up clinics around the country to get everyone (people will come to them), it's not as expensive as it would be for the government.

AmcD wrote: »

2. Why are they offering cervarix and not gardasil? At least gardasil will offer some coverage against genital warts too. This would be more value for money.

Gardasil is far more expensive, and while they are selling at cost, a more expensive drug would mean that more of their money is tied up in a nonprofitable area.


EDIT: @Thaedydal, you might want to post the code for you sig, so that other people can add it to theirs. I'm sure other people would be willing to stick it in.

planetX

Just wondering about the age thing - what about a woman in her thirties who's only had one sexual partner, and is now about to start dating again? Surely it's not a certainty that she's been exposed to this virus, would they give the vaccine then?

AmcD

Just looked up the Tropical Medical Bureau. There was disquiet in the medical press recently, when the TMB started advertising very low cost cervical cancer vaccines. Somebody from the TMB explained in the Irish Medical News that they were able to put up the money to buy 10,000 vaccines, so obviously they got them at a good price. GPs can't afford to buy more than a few at a time, so don't be expecting to see them matching these prices.

Cervarix 390 euro
Gardasil 480 euro

I don't work for the TMB by the way.

overmantle

Thanks for this guys.

Posy

A question for the medical professionals if you don't mind-
Isn't a vaccination like a little bit of the disease injected into you so that you develop antibodies against it (or something like that) like when someone gets the 'flu vaccine they sometimes get mild 'flu like symptoms afterwards.. so is the HPV vaccine 'giving you' the HPV virus?
Are there any risks.. in ten years will people discover this is actually increasing the risk of cancer (or some bad side effect)?
And what's Gardasil and Cervarix and what are the differences- I see one's more expensive; is this the genital warts protection someone mentioned or are there other factors?

Thanks to all for the information- think I'll get this but understandably apprehensive and a bit skeptical..

994

Wikipedia:

Cervarix is created using the L1 protein of the viral capsid. Recombinant activity in a baculovirus vector produces L1 protein spheres, which are very immunogenic. The viral proteins induce the formation of neutralizing antibodies. The vaccine contains no live virus and no DNA, so it cannot infect the patient. The vaccine was developed, in parallel, by researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center, the University of Rochester, the University of Queensland in Australia, and the U.S. National Cancer Institute.[4]

So it only contains a protein from the virus, no possibility of infection.

Nevyn

The_Minister wrote: »

EDIT: @Thaedydal, you might want to post the code for you sig, so that other people can add it to theirs. I'm sure other people would be willing to stick it in.

[noparse][/noparse]

JuliusCaesar

any concerns re side-effects etc?

ZYX

If you are insured with HibernianAviva, they will cover some of the cost of vaccine. According to their website, Charter Medical do vaccine for €610 (quite a markup if cost price is €300) and Hibernia will cover €250. Whether they will still cover €250 now I don't know but worth checking.

http://www.hibernianavivahealth.ie/healthcare-info/new-health-stuff/cervical-cancer-vaccine/

tallaght01

I wonder why they haven't gone for gardasil? Anyone know?

DrIndy

tallaght01 wrote: »

I wonder why they haven't gone for gardasil? Anyone know?

Does it have anything to do with this vaccine is the competitor to the one which was awarded the aborted government contract?

The_Minister

tallaght01 wrote: »

I wonder why they haven't gone for gardasil? Anyone know?

Expense most likely.

tallaght01

I guess that genital warts aren't their priority. Probably fair enough.

Will be interesting to hear peoples' experiences after they get it, to see if the type of counselling that AMcD referred to earlier was given.

tallaght01

AmcD wrote: »

7. The inverse law of health economics will definitely apply. Those in most need of the vaccine are least likely to get it. Smokers from lower socio-economic groups who have had multiple partners at a young age are less likely to find the money for the vaccine.

I keep thinking about this initiative, and others like it.

I can't get away from the above quoted point. Is this just further widening the gulf between those who can afford quality healthcare, and those who don't?

I just can't help feeling a little uneasy about this.

drzhivago

tallaght01 wrote: »

I keep thinking about this initiative, and others like it.

I can't get away from the above quoted point. Is this just further widening the gulf between those who can afford quality healthcare, and those who don't?

I just can't help feeling a little uneasy about this.

This is where public health perspective will help

It will eventually make it on to the scheduled vaccine list But when

Posy

tallaght01 wrote: »

Will be interesting to hear peoples' experiences after they get it, to see if the type of counselling that AMcD referred to earlier was given.

I'll post here after I get it. I'll be heading to the Tropical Medical Bureau for the Gardasil and see how it goes as soon as I've had my (eeew) smear and (hopefully good) results so I'll be back to report.

samson09

From mercola.com


Since its launch in 2006, 40 million doses of the Gardasil vaccine have been distributed worldwide, amidst a rash of side effects and complaints. At least Spanish health authorities were quick to act this time, when two girls became seriously ill just hours after receiving the shot.

In response, close to 76,000 doses of Gardasil were withdrawn from the market, all of them part of batch NH52670. Unfortunately, this is not a move to pull the vaccine from the market entirely; only use of shots from this particular batch has been suspended.

I don’t know what more health officials from all over the world could be waiting for to let them know how potentially dangerous this vaccine actually is.

Over 10,000 adverse reactions, including 29 deaths, have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) in relation to Gardasil -- and that is just from the United States.

Although Merck, which manufactures Gardasil, has reported a 16 percent decline in quarterly sales of the vaccine, and said it expects sales this year to be lower than expected, a massive campaign is still underway urging young girls to get vaccinated and become “one less” victim to cervical cancer.

This is going on in many parts of the world, including in Sweden, which recently announced all primary school girls will be able to be vaccinated with Gardasil for free starting in 2010.

Merck has also been pushing for an expansion of uses for Gardasil. In the U.S., the vaccine can also be promoted to prevent two rare vaginal and vulvar cancers, and Merck just recently filed for FDA approval to use Gardasil for boys!

What Types of Risks Does Gardasil Pose?

Side effects including paralysis and death have been reported in relation to Gardasil, among many, many others. Yet, on October 21, 2008 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in association with the FDA released a report alleging that the vast majority, or even ALL, of the 10,000+ adverse reactions reported are not related to the vaccine. Therefore, they say, Gardasil is safe.

How did they come to this conclusion? Only the investigators know, and the information is not being made public so independent researchers can make their own decisions.

Well, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), which was co-founded by Barbara Loe Fisher, one of the top vaccine experts in the world, is now calling for the CDC and FDA to publicly release the study design, data, and names of principal investigators involved.

To not properly evaluate the risks of Gardasil, they say, is “a callous disregard for human life.” As Fisher said:


“Parents of young girls and women cut down in their prime -- some of them paralyzed or dead within hours or days of getting Gardasil vaccine -- deserve better answers than a whitewashing of this vaccine’s very serious side effects.”


On NVIC’s Web site, you can read several stories of women and girls who have been seriously injured, and in some cases died, shortly after receiving this vaccine, including:


• Christina Tarsell, a 21-year-old college student majoring in studio arts at Bard College, who died suddenly and without explanation shortly after receiving the third Gardasil shot in June 2008.

• Gabrielle, a 15-year-old former gymnast and cheerleader who can no longer attend school and is suffering from severe headaches, heart problems and seizures since getting the vaccine. She has been diagnosed with Inflammation of the Central Nervous System as a result of a Gardasil vaccine reaction, and her condition continues to deteriorate.

• Megan, a 20-year-old college student who died suddenly, without explanation, about one month after receiving her third Gardasil shot. No cause of death was found.

• Ashley, a 16-year-old who became chronically ill after receiving Gardasil, and now suffers regular life-threatening episodes of seizure-like activity, difficulty breathing, back spasms, paralysis, dehydration, memory loss and tremors.


Sadly, Merck only studied the Gardasil vaccine in fewer than 1,200 girls under 16 prior to it being released to the market, and most of the serious side effects that occurred during the pre-licensure clinical trials were merely called a “coincidence.”

It is beyond me how that explanation can hold water, considering all the bad press coming out about this vaccine. NVIC has been following the risks of Gardasil closely, and just released a new analysis comparing the vaccine to another for meningitis (Menactra). They found, compared to Menactra, Gardasil was associated with:


• At least twice as many emergency room visit reports (5,021)
• Four times as many death reports (29)
• Seven times as many disabled reports (261)
• Three to six times more fainting reports


Further, there have been a dizzying array of reactions reported among girls who received Gardasil alone, without any other vaccines, such as:


• 34 reports of thrombosis
• 27 reports of lupus
• 23 reports of blood clots
• 16 reports of stroke
• 11 reports of vasculitis
• 544 reports of seizures


On top of this, in the VAERS database there are 467 “rechallenge” reports, which involve cases where there was a worsening of symptoms after a repeated vaccination -- and nearly 60 percent of them are for Gardasil!

What Makes The Gardasil Vaccine Even More of a Rip-Off?

It’s intended to prevent a virus (human papilloma virus, or HPV) your body can clear up on its own, and does so more than 90 percent of the time!

At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives, according to the National Prevention Information Network (NPIN). Most often, the infection causes no symptoms at all, and is easily cleared up by your immune system. In some cases the infection can result in genital warts, and much less often, cervical and other genital cancers.

Even the National Cancer Institute says:


"It is important to note, however, that the great majority of high-risk HPV infections go away on their own and do not cause cancer."


So while Merck would like you to hear that 6 million women contract HPV annually -- they do not tell you most of those cases are harmless. Cervical cancer actually claims less than 3,900 women a year -- most of which are due to not getting regular Pap smears.

You should also know that Gardasil does not protect against all types of HPV, and you can still get cervical cancer even if you’ve been vaccinated. As the CDC states:


“About 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine.”


What this all boils down to is that Gardasil is largely ineffective, potentially very dangerous and a major waste of money.

If you are a parent considering the Gardasil vaccine for your daughter, you would likely be far better off teaching her how to keep her immune system strong and healthy -- and discussing the realities of sexually transmitted diseases and how to avoid them -- than having her injected with this worthless vaccine.

RobFowl

tallaght01 wrote: »

I wonder why they haven't gone for gardasil? Anyone know?

Purely on cost, though the one we gave out free at the weekend was gardasil. The local secondary scholl is now fundraising to get as many of the girls there vaccinated as possible.
Wasn't too much of a stunt at all BTW, lots of community volunteers from all strands. Of course the HSE refused to let us use their health centres !!!

The Irish mail did a piece on it which was up to their usual standards though !!

tallaght01

Hi Samson,

Here's a dose of reality from the FDA. Funny they don't seem to share the same views that your website does. Odd that:

http://www.fda.gov/CBER/safety/gardasil071408.htm

FDA wrote:

Information from CDC and FDA on the Safety of Gardasil Vaccine
Consumers, parents, health care professionals and others have raised questions regarding the safety of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil. FDA and CDC take all concerns about vaccine safety seriously, and have been closely monitoring the safety of Gardasil.

Below is a summary of Gardasil vaccine safety monitoring activities and findings. Based on ongoing assessments of vaccine safety information, FDA and CDC continue to find that Gardasil is a safe and effective vaccine. FDA and CDC continue to monitor the safety of this vaccine, with the public's health and safety our top priority.

GARDASIL BACKGROUND

FDA approved Gardasil vaccine on June 8, 2006 for use in girls and women 9 through 26 years of age. This vaccine prevents infection with the types of HPV that cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended routine 3-dose vaccination of girls aged 11 and 12 years. The vaccine is also recommended for girls and women ages 13 through 26 years who have not yet been vaccinated or who have not received all 3 doses.

Gardasil was tested in over 11,000 girls and women in the United States and around the world, and found to be safe and effective in preventing serious HPV-related diseases. These studies showed that in women who have never been infected by HPV types 6, 11, 16 or 18, the vaccine is highly effective, both in preventing precancerous lesions that often develop into cancer of the cervix, vagina and vulva, and in preventing genital warts caused by these HPV types.

This vaccine is an important cervical cancer prevention tool that will potentially benefit the health of millions of women. Every year, about 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and almost 4,000 die from this disease in the United States. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women, causing an estimated 470,000 new cases and 233,000 deaths per year.

MONITORING THE SAFETY OF GARDASIL

Vaccine Safety Overview

FDA and CDC closely monitor the safety of all vaccines through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS receives unconfirmed reports of possible side effects following the use of Gardasil and all vaccines licensed in the U.S. VAERS reports are regularly reviewed for safety concerns or trends of adverse events (possible side effects).

Vaccines are manufactured in batches called lots. All vaccine lots are routinely tested and must pass all tests before they can be used, and vaccine manufacturers must comply with strict manufacturing standards. FDA also analyzes adverse events (possible side effects) associated with individual lots to look for any unusual patterns. No such patterns have been observed in FDA's review of HPV vaccine lots since the vaccine was licensed.

In addition to VAERS, CDC has two other systems in place to monitor the safety of all licensed vaccines. The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project is a collaborative effort between CDC and eight managed care organizations that monitors vaccine safety and addresses the gaps in scientific knowledge about rare and serious side effects following immunization. The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Network is a collaboration with six academic centers in the United States to conduct clinical research on vaccine-associated adverse events.

Adverse Event Reports following Gardasil

To date, the manufacturer, Merck and Co., has distributed over 16 million doses of Gardasil in the United States. Given the large number of doses distributed, it is expected that, by chance alone, serious adverse events and some deaths will be reported in this large population during the time period following vaccinations. Our monitoring and analysis of reports, including in-depth medical review, are designed to detect serious events that occur at rates greater than expected, compared to what would be expected by chance alone.

VAERS receives reports of many events that occur following immunization. Some of these events may occur coincidentally during the time period following vaccination, while others may actually be caused by vaccination. In our analysis of VAERS data, we look for patterns of adverse events that may be plausibly linked to a vaccine. Such patterns of adverse events may require further study.

As of June 30, 2008, there have been 9,749 VAERS reports of adverse events following Gardasil vaccination. Of these, 94% were classified as reports of non-serious events, and 6% as serious events.

Non-Serious Reports (94% of total reports)

Since Gardasil was approved, the great majority (94%) of adverse events reported to VAERS after receiving this vaccine have not been serious. These reports include syncope (fainting), pain at the injection site, headache, nausea and fever. Fainting is common after injections and vaccinations, especially in adolescents. Falls after syncope may sometimes cause serious injuries, such as head injuries, which can be prevented with simple steps, such as keeping the vaccinated person seated for up to 15 minutes after vaccination. FDA and CDC have taken steps to remind immunization providers about the recommendation that individuals be watched carefully for 15 minutes after vaccination to avoid potential injury from a fall. The vaccine's prescribing information was changed to include this information.

Serious Reports (6% of total reports)

Concerns have been raised about reports of deaths occurring in individuals after receiving Gardasil. As of June 30, 2008, 20 deaths had been reported to VAERS. There was not a common pattern to the deaths that would suggest they were caused by the vaccine. In cases where autopsy, death certificate and medical records were available, the cause of death was explained by factors other than the vaccine.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) has also been reported in individuals following vaccination with Gardasil. GBS is a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle weakness. It occurs spontaneously in unvaccinated individuals after a variety of specific infections. FDA and CDC have reviewed the reports of GBS that have been submitted to VAERS. To date, there is no evidence that Gardasil has increased the rate of GBS above that expected in the population. While we continue to carefully analyze all reports of GBS submitted to VAERS, the data do not currently suggest an association between Gardasil and GBS.

Thromboembolic disorders (blood clots) have been reported to VAERS in people who have received Gardasil. Most of these individuals had risk factors for blood clots such as use of oral contraceptives which are known to increase the risk of clotting. Thromboembolic disorders as well as other medical events are being studied through the VSD in previously planned controlled studies. The manufacturer has also committed to conduct a large postmarketing study to further assess the vaccine's safety.

SUMMARY

Based on the review of available information by FDA and CDC, Gardasil continues to be safe and effective, and its benefits continue to outweigh its risks.

CDC has not changed its recommendations for use of Gardasil. FDA has not made any changes to the prescribing information for how the vaccine is used or to the vaccine's Precautions. In addition, FDA routinely reviews manufacturing information, and has not identified any issues affecting the safety, purity and potency of Gardasil.

Public health and safety are priorities for FDA and CDC. As with all licensed vaccines, we will continue to closely monitor the safety of Gardasil. FDA and CDC continue to find that Gardasil is a safe and effective vaccine that will potentially benefit the health of millions of women by providing protection against the types of HPV that cause the majority of cervical cancer, genital warts, and other HPV-related diseases.

ADDITIONAL LINKS AND RESOURCES

Parents and providers are encouraged to report any adverse events to VAERS, online at http://www.vaers.hhs.gov or by phone at 1-800-822-7967.

Related information on Guillian-Barre Syndrome: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/detail_gbs.htm

CDC HPV Disease Information: http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/default.htm

CDC General HPV Vaccine Information: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/hpv/default.htm

CDC General Vaccine Safety Information: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety

RobFowl

samson09 wrote: »

“About 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine.”


What this all boils down to is that Gardasil is largely ineffective, potentially very dangerous and a major waste of money.

There's so much cr*p here its hard to know where to begin , for a start mercola is a quack site and is useless and potentially dangerous as a source of information.
The fact that "only" 70% of cancers may be prevented seems not that relevant to you !!
Safety is monitored by the FDA in the USA and medical boards alll over the world and not one has withdrawn it.
It is recommended as an add on to the pap smear program and not an alternative.
I'm not too sure why I bothered reply to this post TBH but in future do a pubmed or medline search to get proper peer reviewed information if you want your opinion to be taken seriously.

Bottle_of_Smoke

tallaght01 wrote: »

There's no point in having the vaccine if you've been exposed to HPV. That's different to having been sexually active.

I know from your posts you're a lot more knowledgeble than I in health matters but I did hear virtually anyone who's had 1-2 partners will have been exposed to HPV as its so contagious. Also the strains that lead to cervical cancer are symtomless.

Surely this would mean anyone who's been sexually active with non-virgins(and how would one be sure) will have been exposed.

stardust_dublin

is it really true that if you've already been exposed to HPV theres no point in getting the vaccine? for someone that has had a few sexual partners whats the likelihood of contracting it?

Bottle_of_Smoke

stardust_dublin wrote: »

is it really true that if you've already been exposed to HPV theres no point in getting the vaccine? for someone that has had a few sexual partners whats the likelihood of contracting it?

Very high. Condoms don't offer much protection as its transmistted by skin contact as opposed to body fluids. Also symptomless for the cervical cancer strains and most people with the genital warts strain don't get warts. Yet warts are Irelands most commonly reported STI.