Thai Govt Urged To Drop Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine Plan

[webfact]

HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS

Govt urged to drop HPV vaccine plan

Duangkamon Sajirawattanakul

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Health experts have opposed the government's plan to add the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine to the national vaccine programme, saying the cost per dose is still too high. HPV is a major cause of cervical cancer.

The move follows Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Surawit Khonsomboon's announcement that the ministry would ask the Cabinet to approve its plan to incorporate the HPV vaccine into the national programme and allow girls aged over 12 to be vaccinated.

Under the plan, the ministry would allocate about Bt600 million to purchase vaccine from manufacturers. It is expected to cost Bt500 per dose. To be vaccinated, a woman needs to receive three doses. If the Cabinet approves the plan, about 400,000 girls aged over 12 would be vaccinated against cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is the second-leading cause of death among women in Thailand, killing about 5,216 women per year. About 60 per cent of them are aged between 15 and 59.

The ministry estimates that the number of deaths will increase to 10,000 per year.

"We have to spend about Bt1 million on medication for patients suffering from cervical cancer. They need to undergo treatment for at least five years," Surawit said.

"If we invest in purchasing vaccines from vaccine-makers, we could save 17 times [what we spend on treatment]," he said.

According to a study conducted by the Ministry's Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Programme (HITAP), the price of HPV vaccine should not exceed Bt190 per dose.

Meanwhile, the price of HPV vaccine purchased by GAVI Alliance, formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, a public-private global health partnership committed to saving children's lives and protecting people's health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries, was not over Bt150 per dose.

"We have to think about the effectiveness of a vaccine compared with the price," HITAP director Dr Yot Teerawattananon said.

"We have to understand that this vaccine can prevent infection by only two of the hundreds of strains of viruses that cause cervical cancer. This vaccine will take effect when women are 40 years old," he added.

He urged the government to strengthen the screening test for the disease, which uses the pap smear as the main tool to prevent cervical cancer in women.

-- The Nation 2012-04-10

[jcw]

I am not sure who is more pathetic, Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Surawit Khonsomboon's policy or a English Newspaper who fired all the native English speaking proofreaders, slight difference Mr Nation you clown between $million and $billion. Amazing incompetence.

This is all they need. http://bit.ly/Id2rbc

Edited April 10, 2012 by jcw

[Ijustwannateach]

But what's the collective cost of all the HPV related illnesses and cancers? Can they afford NOT to give the vaccine?

[msgtb]

This vacine is a scam and has serious side effects. Just Google it and don't trust anything written by the US Government or the drug companies. If given many children will be killed or maimed.

Msgtb

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[Bagwan]

This vacine is a scam and has serious side effects. Just Google it and don't trust anything written by the US Government or the drug companies. If given many children will be killed or maimed.

Msgtb

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

I think your post somewhat OTT but IMO you are correct in expressing reservations about this vaccine.

My wife and I have discussed with her doctor, a leading authority on the treatment of HIV, whether HPV immunuisation is suitable for her and he is not at all enthusiastic. Since she has been HIV infected for over 20 years she is in a high risk category. He is content with her undergoing a Pap smear test every 6 months and having the DNA of her HPV's identified. If one of the dangerous types that can be a precursor to a cancer is detected at an early stage, a relatively simple and effective procedure will zap it.

Everybody carries one or more versions of the HPV at one time or another. Certainly anybody who has had sexual relations has. The body deals with the vast majority of the virus types just as it does all the other invaders that make your body a permanent battleground.

[AngryParent]

But they can spend billions on silly tablets for 6 year olds to use as video game machines.

Again a prime example of how this country operates without a braincell and lives in the barbarian dark ages.

Edited April 10, 2012 by AngryParent

[Heimdallr]

Drop one of their most promising plans? 500 Baht is nothing.

[how241]

But what's the collective cost of all the HPV related illnesses and cancers? Can they afford NOT to give the vaccine?

Exactly, how can they afford Not to give it.

[geriatrickid]

This vacine is a scam and has serious side effects. Just Google it and don't trust anything written by the US Government or the drug companies. If given many children will be killed or maimed.

Msgtb

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

I defy you to post one clinical study that supports your allegation. You cannot because the evidence is overwhelming in favour of the vaccine benefit.

HPV is primarily a sexually transmitted virus. The reason it is recommended to be given to those that have not had sexual relations is because it is intended to prevent infection by the virus. HPV is now a preventable infection and that means that those that wish to reduce the chances of their children contracting some forms of the virus which causes cancer in both females and males have a proven way in which to do so.

I have seen enough subjects with the infection to get down on my knees and give thanks for the vaccine.

Please <deleted>.

[geriatrickid]

This vacine is a scam and has serious side effects. Just Google it and don't trust anything written by the US Government or the drug companies. If given many children will be killed or maimed.

Msgtb

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

I think your post somewhat OTT but IMO you are correct in expressing reservations about this vaccine.

My wife and I have discussed with her doctor, a leading authority on the treatment of HIV, whether HPV immunuisation is suitable for her and he is not at all enthusiastic. Since she has been HIV infected for over 20 years she is in a high risk category. He is content with her undergoing a Pap smear test every 6 months and having the DNA of her HPV's identified. If one of the dangerous types that can be a precursor to a cancer is detected at an early stage, a relatively simple and effective procedure will zap it.

Everybody carries one or more versions of the HPV at one time or another. Certainly anybody who has had sexual relations has. The body deals with the vast majority of the virus types just as it does all the other invaders that make your body a permanent battleground.

The decision not to give the vaccine to your wife has nothing to do with its benefits. Rather, it is not recommended for those already infected as it does not demonstrate a benefit. HIV patients also have damaged immune systems which in layman's terms screws up the efficacy of all vaccines and some medications. Administering an HPV vaccine to a carrier is like administering measles or diptheria vaccine to some that is already infected. It won't work . Please do not confuse a patient specific decision with the efficacy of the vaccine on those that have not yet been exposed. thank you.

Edited April 10, 2012 by geriatrickid

[JohnAllan]

If the government goes ahead with this, should the vaccinations not start with the older age groups and work down? Or is the plan - if there is one - to ignore any female over a certain age?

[JohnAllan]

I am not sure who is more pathetic, Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Surawit Khonsomboon's policy or a English Newspaper who fired all the native English speaking proofreaders, slight difference Mr Nation you clown between $million and $billion. Amazing incompetence.

This is all they need. http://bit.ly/Id2rbc

Is it just me who is missing the relevance of this post?

[hungryhippo]

I am not sure who is more pathetic, Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Surawit Khonsomboon's policy or a English Newspaper who fired all the native English speaking proofreaders, slight difference Mr Nation you clown between $million and $billion. Amazing incompetence.

This is all they need. http://bit.ly/Id2rbc

For someone so confident it turns out you're the clown.

https://www.google.c...0000+to+english

500 baht * 3 doses * 400 000 students = six hundred million baht just like the article says.

Edited April 10, 2012 by hungryhippo

[tragickingdom]

The real face of the democrats. Let the poor get cancer! It is too expensive to vaccinate the poor. I have a better plan, let's forbid vaccination of ALL Thai people that creates an equal playing field.

[Nienke]

Sorry my ignorance, but the FDA report states that:

(http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/07p0210/07p-0210-ccp0001-01-FDA-News-vol3.pdf)

"The HPV DNA test is not intended to substitute for regular Pap screening. Nor is it intended to screen women under 30 who have normal Pap tests. Although the rate of HPV infection in this group is high, most infections are short-lived and not associated with cervical cancer."

and

"Most women who become infected with HPV are able to eradicate the virus and suffer no apparent long-term consequences to their health."

And in this interesting (me thinks) article, where the above mentioned report is reviewed as well, they say:

(http://cancer.immunodefence.com/2007/12/fda-documents-reveal-hpv-not-a.html)

Based on what we've learned from the FDA's own documents, here are the likely outcomes of each of the four quadrants:

Quadrant I: Non-Sexually Active, No Gardasil Vaccine

Outcome: No risk of cervical cancer.

Quadrant II: Non-Sexually Active, Receives Gardasil Vaccine

Outcome: No medical benefit from vaccine.

Quadrant III: Sexually Active, No Gardasil Vaccine

Outcome: HPV presence is self-limiting and does not lead to cervical cancer.

Quadrant IV: Sexually Active, Receives Gardasil Vaccine

Outcome: 44.6% Increased risk of precancerous lesions. No reduction in cancer risk.

Does this actually say that in most women most HPV infections are short-lived, self-limiting and NOT associated with cervical cancer? And in the high risk group the Gardisil vaccine can actually give a 44.6% Increased risk of precancerous lesions?

[geriatrickid]

Nienke,

I respect your right to an opinion opinion and note that you are very much opposed to vaccines and a proponent of "alternative"approaches, if I may put it politely. You have in large part relied on a blog that while using a prominent font and style to indicate that it is "scientific" is just a blog where snippets of studies are presented in such a manner so as to support a specific viewpoint. This approach is frowned upon when clinical studies and literature reviews are discussed.

I instead refer you to the impartial US National Cancer Institute fact sheet http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/HPV-vaccine

This document provides the accurate information in context.

[ttelise]

This vacine is a scam and has serious side effects. Just Google it and don't trust anything written by the US Government or the drug companies. If given many children will be killed or maimed.

Msgtb

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

I defy you to post one clinical study that supports your allegation. You cannot because the evidence is overwhelming in favour of the vaccine benefit.

HPV is primarily a sexually transmitted virus. The reason it is recommended to be given to those that have not had sexual relations is because it is intended to prevent infection by the virus. HPV is now a preventable infection and that means that those that wish to reduce the chances of their children contracting some forms of the virus which causes cancer in both females and males have a proven way in which to do so.

I have seen enough subjects with the infection to get down on my knees and give thanks for the vaccine.

Please <deleted>.

Some girls have very bad and irreversible sides. I have personally met with several and had their records reviewed by my doctors who said without equivocation that Gardasil was the cause. Common sense really when normal healthy, athletic, straight A students are suddenly stricken by a debilitating illness and can no longer function or get out of bed immediately after vaccine.

Normal healthy children have died immediately after vaccination and ended up in ICUs. Others are stricken with severe pain, fatigue, and vertigo. The symptoms seem to remain for years at the same level and do not appear to subside over time.

After meeting with several clients, talking to docs and reviewing the literature, I contacted my ex and told her not to vaccinate my two teenage daughters, but it was too late. She already had and luckily they did not suffer any adverse effects.

There is also concern that Gardasil is ineffective and at beat only suppresses 4 strains of HPV which the body can apparently fight on it's own. Merck would love to get Thailand's money as there would be little or no recourse against Merck for problems caused by Gardasil under the Thai legal system and it is doubtful any parents or physicians in Thailand would challenge as has been done in other more advanced countries resulting in girls and women having a choice.

[ttelise]

Nienke,

I respect your right to an opinion opinion and note that you are very much opposed to vaccines and a proponent of "alternative"approaches, if I may put it politely. You have in large part relied on a blog that while using a prominent font and style to indicate that it is "scientific" is just a blog where snippets of studies are presented in such a manner so as to support a specific viewpoint. This approach is frowned upon when clinical studies and literature reviews are discussed.

I instead refer you to the impartial US National Cancer Institute fact sheet http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/HPV-vaccine

This document provides the accurate information in context.

Gardasil is a delicate issue. Very difficult for some agencies and even FDA to back off considering the almost mandatory introduction and guarantee if safety and efficacy. Many pediatric docs have completely reversed course on recommending Gardasil as more is made known. Not sure school boards and governmental agencies would ever step forward and say, well perhaps that was a bit hasty to require mandatory vaccination with a dangerous drug before all of the results were in. Besides, seems like government us willingbti sacrifice a few for the many. Sounds reasonable unless your child happens to be one of those few.

[thatguy]

thank you

geriatrickid

[David48]

An Open Letter to the 2012 Declared Presidential Candidates from the The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Safety

HPV vaccination is safe. Although any vaccine can pose a risk, the FDA and the CDC studied the safety of Gardasil in 2009 and concluded that it is a safe and effective vaccine.⁶

In an August 2011 consensus report, the Institute of Medicine concluded that “few health problems are caused by or clearly associated with vaccines.”

In an analysis of more than 1,000 research publications,

this expert panel found no links between immunization and some serious conditions that have raised concerns, including Type 1 diabetes and autism.

Short-term mild to moderate side-effects of both HPV vaccines include pain at the injection site, mild (100° F) to moderate fever (102° F), headache, and dizziness. These side effects have been found to spontaneously resolve.⁷

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), representing 56,000 obgyns and partners in women’s health, supports robust, factual debates on issues of importance to the American people.

We urge you to call on us for expert understanding of issues related to

women's health.

http://www.acog.org/...0410T1614566843

Edited April 10, 2012 by David48

[zaq1]

To those who believe the Gardasil vaccine to be safe: clearly you have not looked at the opposing evidence...of which there is a-plenty! www.truthaboutgardasil.com might be a good start. www.yourlawyer..com....would interest you...then maybe www.vaccinating.org for damning evidence, academic research and statistics that fly in the face of propaganda put out by the drug companies themselves.

Dr Andrew Wakefield...IN HIS OWN WORDS...Anyone? A fascinating study for anyone interested in... truth.

[zaq1]

To those who believe the Gardasil vaccine to be safe: clearly you have not looked at the opposing evidence...of which there is a-plenty! www.truthaboutgardasil.com might be a good start. www.yourlawyer..com....would interest you...then maybe www.vaccinating.org for damning evidence, academic research and statistics that fly in the face of propaganda put out by the drug companies themselves.

Dr Andrew Wakefield...IN HIS OWN WORDS...Anyone? A fascinating study for anyone interested in... truth.

[zaq1]

apologies for some errors and the double posting. .writing on a smartphone.

www.vaccinetruth.org is the correct address.

www.nvic. org is another comprehensive and well researched site.

[cutter007]

I am not sure who is more pathetic, Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Surawit Khonsomboon's policy or a English Newspaper who fired all the native English speaking proofreaders, slight difference Mr Nation you clown between $million and $billion. Amazing incompetence.

This is all they need. http://bit.ly/Id2rbc

Definitely the newspaper ".....about 400,000 girls over the age of 12 would be vaccinated against cervical cancer"

The vaccination prevents HPV infection, not cervical cancer, and of course there are other factors that contribute to cervical cancer than just HPV.

Sad isn't it.