HPV Vaccine in UK?

Question

Where can a woman go in the UK to receive the new Gardasil HPV vaccine?

It was approved in June this year but in my experience getting a new product via a GP usually results in them saying I'm unaware of such a product. If they do say this, how can I make them aware or should I go elsewhere?

I am willing to pay for it if NHS fails as a last resort.

Thanks in advance :-)

Answer 1

The Marie Stopes London clinic is giving the Gardasil vaccine to women, on private prescription, cervarix the Glaxo SmithKline vaccine could become available next year, and there are some other clinics in London also with the vaccine available on private prescription as unfortunately the government hasn't made a desicion as to wether it should be available on the NHS yet or not!!! I'm not sure about getting it in other parts of the country though.

I would tell your gp to contact Sanofi Pasteur to get some more information as this vaccine has been available on private prescription since October when it recieved it's european license. I am member of a cervical cancer charity that has been campaigning and will continue it's campaign for this vaccine to become freely available for all young girls to protect them from a virus that 80% (8 in 10) of sexually active women will have at some time or another, fortunately for most women the immune system kicks in and rids you of it but for some women it can go on to develop into cervical cancer.

Well done you for being proactive with your health and good luck with your search

Answer 2

The vaccine being produced by GlaxoSmithKline and Merck Sharp & Dohme are currently being tested on human subjects around the world and will probably not be ready for several years yet.

Although BBC news is quoted as sayin

A spokesman from GlaxoSmithKline said the company planned to submit an application to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in 2006 in the hope that its vaccine Cervarix could be made available in 2007. (Cervatix was in phase 3 of testing in 2005)

So im afraid you will not be able to get this vaccine currently but keep you eyes open...it has been quoted as a vaccine to help shape the world :)

Answer 3

Its not available for general release in the UK yet. Have a look on the internet but I think you will have to go abroad to get the vaccine at the moment. It can be effective for women upto 25 years of age so unless you're older, there is no huge rush yet. And if you are over 25, theres no evidence that it is useful for older women in preventing cervical cancer as it is most likely you will have contracted the precursor virus through sexual contact by now otherwise.

Answer 4

its not available in the uk yet, and even when it is will only be beneficial to women who are not yet sexually active. still the good old smear/pap for the rest of us.

Answer 5

phone your local health authority. the vaccine is not ready for genral use, i think it is being trialed first to see if it is successful.