On June 18, British ministers decided to opt for a cervical cancer vaccine called Cervarix – produced by GlaxoSmithKline – instead of Merck's Gardasil for its immunisation programme. Cervarix offers immunity to two strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the cause of most cases of cervical cancer. Its rival product Gardasil, which is used by the majority of programmes worldwide, also protects against two other strains of HPV, along with lesions and genital warts. Each year the disease kills 300,000 women worldwide, mostly in developing countries, and it is the second most common type of cancer in women.
Why did they choose Cervarix? Because it is the cheaper option. Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "It's our understanding that Cervarix is the cheaper option. While we welcome any advance at all, we are very disappointed at the shortsightedness of this decision. By failing to choose the vaccine with the widest coverage, the Department of Health is condemning Britons to a further increase in genital warts and other cancers which could have been prevented."
She concluded her statement with a sentence that says it all: "They are saving pennies to spend pounds later." This reveals the thinking of the ruling class. First of all it shows that saving a few pennies is more important than hundreds of women's lives. Secondly it reveals short-sightedness, because more money than the more expensive vaccine actually costs has to be spent on treatment when women fall ill with the cancer. But no worries, the public pays!
