A leading health professional is calling for girls as young as 12 years to be given a vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer caused by a sexually transmitted infection.
Dr Mary Horgan, consultant in infectious diseases at Cork University Hospital, was speaking in Limerick yesterday at a seminar on Healthy Populations.
According to the Cork based consultant, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that causes genital warts is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) reported in Ireland.
Dr Horgan said a new vaccine, which prevents 70 per cent of HPV associated with cancer of the cervix, has been available in this country for the past six months. This vaccine, which costs €600 consists of three injections administered by a GP but is currently not available under the medical card scheme.
Dr Horgan recommended that parents should strongly consider giving the vaccines to their children so that infection can be prevented. "The availability of the vaccine which prevents HPV which is associated with cervical cancer has been available for about six months.
"It's not part of the routine vaccine programme but it should be strongly considered to be given to 12-year-olds before the onset of sexual activity so that infection can be prevented," she said.
Dr Horgan admitted the cost of the vaccine could act as a deterrent for parents and said it was a matter for the Department of Health to make the vaccine more readily available.