Quebec Has an Alternative HPV Vaccine And Doctors Are Concerned About The Change
So far, Quebec had a schedule of two doses of the “Gardasil” vaccine for about 64,000 four grade students. Now, Quebec decided to give the children a single shot of Gardasil and one of a vaccine called Cervarix.
This plan has been criticized by the national advocacy group HPV Awareness, adding a banner on their website saying:
“Quebec children deserve the same cancer protection as the rest of Canada.”
The vaccines cover HPV types which are responsible for almost 70% of cancer cases. Some doctors do not agree with the new schedule, calling it a cost-cutting method that puts young people at risk. Mark Steben (National Public Health Institute of Quebec) stated:
“I read there’s a saving of three million, and there’s a gamble of much more than that we’re doing at this moment. In 10 years, most countries will be celebrating the quasi-eradication of cervical cancer – we may wake up in Quebec and say ‘we did wrong.’”
Data Shows “100 per cent response” After The Gardasil9 and Cervarix Combination
According to a news release from HPV Awareness, two doses of Gardasil9 “provided children with complete protection against HPV-related diseases, including cancers of the head and neck, tongue, throat, anus, cervix, vulva, vagina and penis.” Unfortunately, Cervarix protects against two HPV types, compared to Gardasil9, which protects against nine.
However, Dr. Chantal Sauvageau of the Quebec Immunization committee (CIQ) stated that the mixed dose had satisfying results and isn’t less effective, despite the lower cost. As a consequence of a lower cost, the program can now be expanded to boys up to 9th grade.
Sauvageau explained that the data showing the combination of the two vaccines shows “a 100 per cent response after one dose of Gardasil9 and one dose of Cervarix.”
She concluded that she is concerned about the questions and thought of the population, and she wouldn’t want to see the population say “the HPV program is not a good one and ‘I should not get immunized.'”
The new vaccine schedule will roll out in schools in October.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.
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