The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7501 p556
10 May 2008

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DoH sets out details for human papillomavirus vaccinations

Details of the Government’s plans to introduce human papillomavirus vaccine into the national immunisation programme in England were set out in a letter sent to healthcare professionals last week.

The letter, from chief pharmaceutical officer Keith Ridge and colleagues at the Department of Health, says that the first cohort to be immunised will be girls born between 1 September 1995 and 31 August 1996 (school year 8 in 2008–09). It also says that guidance for both professionals and the public will be produced.

The details follow a study that reveals that parents are reluctant to allow their daughters to be immunised against cervical cancer because they have too little information about the human papillomavirus vaccine and are unsure about its long-term safety (BMJ Online First, 24 April 2008).