The Tribune

THE government is in discussions with the pharmaceutical company Merck regarding the introduction of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine for women who are most at risk of contracting cervical cancer, Minister of Health, Dr Perry Gomez said.

Officials say the introduction of the vaccine into the public healthcare system will be a “major triumph” as the vaccine is currently only available from private healthcare facilities and is unattainable for tens of thousands of women.

The introduction of the vaccine into the public health system will provide equal access for those women not able to afford private visits, and is expected to improve the health of women while also decreasing the incidence of cancer of the cervix.

“How could we have this discordance in our country in something that is as fundamental as public health, when only the private well-off girl has access to a vaccine that can prevent her from getting cancer of the cervix and the one who is unable to afford it, not have the same access? That cannot be right,” Dr Gomez said.

“I am convinced that this will improve the health of women and also decrease the incidence of cancer of the cervix,” Dr Gomez said. “This, we hope, will eventually lead to the elimination of cancer of the cervix.”

Dr Gomez said the opportunity for the introduction of the HPV vaccine came about as a result of his attendance at an international conference at which representatives from the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies and leading healthcare personnel, including many physicians, attended.

“We found out that Merck had immunised the population of females between the ages of 9-27 in a South African country against HPV with much success and I knew that we have been struggling with the HPV immunisation here in the Bahamas as it is currently only available in the private sector I am told,” Dr Gomez said.

“Through that conference, Merck was offering a substantial discount to countries to immunise their children (and) we are pursuing that.”

Dr Gomez said public health officials will upgrade the country’s vaccine storage facility in advance of storing and then dispensing the vaccine.

“We have to have someplace to keep the vaccines properly because if they are not properly kept, they will be no good when you use them.

“It is our intention to introduce HPV vaccine for the entire at-risk population to avoid this discrimination that is currently in place,” Dr Gomez said.