Ireland’s HPV vaccination rate has rebounded after a ‘misinformation campaign’ saw it falling to 50% several years ago, the Health Minister has told Newstalk Breakfast.
Stephen Donnelly was speaking after the Government set a new target of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning he said Ireland is “one of a handful of countries” around the world that is in a position to set the date.
Minister Donnelly said the World Health Organisation has set a target of getting 90% of girls vaccinated by the age of 15 – and Ireland is now at 80% and “doing well”.
He said it marks a major improvement on just a few years ago when ‘misinformation’ around the vaccine saw the rate fell as low as 50%.
“There was a kind of a victory for the flat earthers at some stage a few years back and there was an awful lot of misinformation put out about the vaccines,” he said.
“The rates fell and unfortunately that is linked to more women getting cervical cancer and dying from cervical cancer.”
A mass card for the Mass of Remembrance and celebration of the life of HPV vaccine campaigner Laura Brennan, who died from cervical cancer, at Ennis Cathedral, Co. Clare.He said there were “many people” involved in improving Ireland’s vaccine rate – particularly campaigner Laura Brennan and her family.
Ms Brennan died of cervical cancer in 2019 at the age of 26.
In the years before her death, she became a high-profile advocate for the HPV vaccine – saying she wouldn't have developed cancer if she'd had the vaccine herself.
“I had the great pleasure of meeting [Laura’s] family, who advocated for the catch-up programme,” said Minister Donnelly.
“That's available now for all women up to the age of 25, all men up to the age of 20.
“I guess what our healthcare professionals are saying today is … we're using today, really, to raise some awareness as well as to set this target, to encourage parents - and I'm one of those parents - to encourage parents to get their sons and their daughters vaccinated with the HPV vaccine.”
Cervical cancer
Minister Donnelly said Ireland is now “in a very strong position” to eliminate cervical cancer – noting that both the screening and vaccination programme have been highly effective.
“Something that most of us don't know, in fact, is that we're also, in terms of the HPV vaccines, we’re one of one of a small number of countries around the world who has access to the most effective HPV vaccine,” he said.
“The one that we use protects against nine out of 10 types of the HPV that cause cervical cancer and we've also now moved to a single dose vaccine as well.”
You can listen back here:
