The relevance to adopt an universal vaccination program to protect the teenagers and the young women against the virus of the human papillome (VPH) is put back again in question.
” There is currently more questions than of answers to this topic, what should incite us to more of prudence”, underline Abby Lippman, in the last delivery of the Newspaper of the Canadian medical association (JAMC)1.
Searcher in epidemiology of the McGill university, and specialist of the health of the women, Abby Lippman judges that so much the public authorities that medical must take a time of stop in order to endow itself/themselves with a global vision on the question.
In February 2007, the national consultative Committee on the immunization of Canada recommended that the five millions of girls and women of 9 years to 26 years to the country can be vaccinated against the VPH. Two stumps of this virus are suspected to be responsible for 70% of the cases of cancer of the collar of the uterus.
The following month, the federal government created a reserve granting 300 millions of dollars at the provinces for the setting up of vaccination programs ” intended to warn the cancer of the collar of the uterus »2.
Abby Lippman throws into question the speed with which the federal government acted. The Treasury secretary’s announcement, Jim Flaherty, occurred eight months after the probate of the GardasilMC vaccine, in July 2006, by Health Canada. Of the seen ever since 1955, where the Canadian government had financed the massive vaccination against the polio, it underlines.
No crisis, nor of emergency
” Contrary to the polio, there is not epidemic of cancer of the collar of the uterus, not of crisis nor major problem that justify the feeling of emergency provoked by the “minister’s announcement, underline the searcher in the JAMC.
She/it recalls that the cancer of the collar of the uterus arrives to the 13rd rank of the deadly cancers touch the Canadians. either close to 400 deaths per year -, ” what is relatively little”, explain the searcher.
” The infection in the VPH resorbs itself within less than one year at 70% of the women reached, and in less than two years for 90% among them”, pursues the searcher. According to her, one also overestimates the risks of cancer bound in the VPH.
Efficiency non demonstrated against the cancer
More again, nor the GardasilMC vaccine nor his/her/its CervarixMCs competitor didn’t demonstrate again that they are efficient to warn the cancer of the collar of the utérus3. According to her, these vaccines can warn the infection efficiently to the stumps of the VPH that can cause the cancer. ” But one doesn’t yet know if the vaccine will permit to reduce the number of case of cancer”, she/it specifies. According to different studies, one estimates besides that it will be necessary numerous years before having collected the proofs to this égard4.
Does Abby Lippman also raise up to here a question of uncharted public health. And if immunity procured by the vaccine against the VPH proved to be of shorter length that one anticipated it? one to the emergence of resistant stumps would Attend who could touch the individuals more seriously an immune system doing have decreased ” as that was the case with the flu aviaire”?, does it wonder.
” He/it also lacks data as for the efficiency of the vaccine when he/it is managed at the same time as of other vaccines, like that arrives in the practice”, she/it adds.
For a more global vision
Three provinces for the vaccination Since last March, three provinces adopted programs of vaccination against the VPH, intended to the teenagers or to the pre-teens. according to the case – since this fall. It is about Nova Scotia, the island-of-prince and the Ontario. Quebec and the Colombia-British study the possibility of it.
Abby Lippman recommends to the governments to approach the question in a more global way. According to her, it is necessary to adopt a national program of public information first on the VPH, the cancer of the collar of the uterus and the vaccination, that would also approach the factors of risk contributing to the transmission of the virus.
The accent should be put on ” the importance to submit in the Pap test, that stays the surest means to discover the apparition of the cancer”, that one is vaccinated or no against the VPH, she/it believes.
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