Govt mulls anti-cancer vaccine

NST: THE government is still studying the viability of vaccinating women against the human papilloma virus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said the ministry needed to study the suitability and efficacy of the vaccine as it was still new on the market and not many countries were using it. He was replying to a question by Senator Samsiah Samsuddin who asked the government to consider making it obligatory for all school-going girls to be vaccinated to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. He said cervical cancer was the second most common form of cancer among women after breast cancer, with 19 cases occurring in every 1,000 women. Dr Abdul Latiff added, however, that the vaccine did not offer 100 per cent protection.