HPV vaccine covered by UMSU health plan
MAGALLY ZELAYA, STAFF
Female students under the age of 26 now have the cost of the new HPV vaccine, Gardasil, covered by the UMSU health plan. This is the first year that the vaccine, which provides immunity against four strains of the virus that cause cervical cancer and genital warts, will be covered by the student health plan. The vaccine was approved for use in females nine to 26 by Health Canada in July 2006.
Gardasil, manufactured by Merck & Co. Inc., is one of the most costly vaccines available with a base price of $405. It is not covered under Manitoba’s provincial health plan as of yet and is available by prescription only.
In Winnipeg, the vaccine, which is administered as a series of three injections over six months, ranges in price from $455-495 depending on pharmacy dispensing fees and mark up. Because all three doses must be purchased separately — to ensure correct storage– dispensing fees are issued for each dose.
The vaccine offers protection against the four most prevalent strains of the human papilloma virus: types 6 and 11, which are the low risk strains responsible for 90 per cent of genital wart cases, and types 16 and 18, which are the high risk strains that cause 70 per cent of all cancers of the cervix.
The virus is also the cause of abnormal cell changes on the cervix and increases the risk of cancers of the anus, vagina, vulva and penis.
HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in Canada, according to Health Canada. Most people who contract the virus will not have any symptoms and the immune system will clear the virus from their bodies. It is estimated that 75 per cent of sexually active men and women will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime.
The virus is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and condoms do not necessarily provide protection. Because most people do not have any signs or symptoms it is impossible to tell if someone is carrying the virus by visual inspection, but it is still transmittable.
“The HPV virus is ubiquitous and that really means that it’s not a question of if you will be exposed to HPV; it’s a question of when,” said Dr. Tim Hilderman, director of communicable disease control for Manitoba Health.
Hilderman said the vaccine “is another tool for advancing women’s health and sexual health overall.” The vaccine should be used in conjunction with healthy sexual practices, such as the use of condoms, but he cautioned, “The vaccine itself does not mean that a Pap smear is not required.”
A Pap smear is a diagnostic test that detects abnormal cells on the cervix, which, if left untreated, can evolve in to cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women aged 20-44 after breast cancer, according to the Society of Obstetrician and Gynecologists of Canada. Fourteen hundred women are diagnosed each year and more than 400 die of it.
“That’s one of the messages that people need to realize: that while this vaccine offers protection, it does not mean Pap smears and cervical cancer screening stops,” said Hilderman.
There are over 100 strains of HPV, 30 of which are sexually transmitted and Hilderman pointed out, “This vaccine does not protect against some of the other cancer causing types — that’s why [there is] the need for ongoing screening.
“In fact, it is as important as ever to have a Pap smear done after you have the vaccine.”
As for building awareness at the university, UMSU president Garry Sran said, “The health insurance plan committee decided to look further into a safer sex awareness campaign and include, on top of that, having an HPV campaign.” He expects more details in the coming weeks.
Eventually the vaccine will most likely be part of routine childhood immunizations. Until then it is left to the individual or the parent to decide if the vaccine is appropriate. Its use in males is currently under investigation, as well as its use in females over 26.
The 2007 federal budget allocated $300 million dollars to support the HPV vaccine program. How the money is spent is left up to each province and territory. Hilderman said the Canadian Immunization Committee is coming out with a report designed to answer some of the questions about how to best deliver the program in the coming months.
