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18/01/2010
Gov U-Turn On Cervical Cancer Vaccination
Despite ruling out the vaccinations in the last budget, over 30,000 teenage girls will again be offered a free vaccine against cervical cancer.
Minister for Health Mary Harney announced the U-turn to reintroduce the controversially abandoned cervical cancer vaccination after the Government ruled them out in the last budget due to financial constraint.
Mrs Harney said she cut costs of the vaccination programme from the original €16m bill to just €3m after opening negotiations with two vaccine makers last year.
"The reason why this is now possible is because vaccine companies have offered substantially better prices for Ireland," the minister said.
"I think there's a general lesson here for the health service as well as for the public service -- we can do an awful lot more for the same amount of money if we get better value."
Today, Fine Gael TD Margaret Conlon said the Cervical Cancer vaccination was to be made available to all school girls in the first year of secondary school this year.
The Minister said she was "delighted" the Government was now in a position to introduce the vaccination.
"The Government was not in a position to introduce the vaccination some time ago because of prohibitive costs, but vaccine companies have now offered the Government considerably better prices for Ireland."
Today the Labour Senator Phil Prendergast welcomed the turnaround saying it was a positive measure that would save many lives.
"Minister Harney claimed today that she has only been able to do this as a result of getting a better deal from the vaccine manufacturers. She said that she spoke to the pharmaceutical companies in early December and that they came back to her in the meantime with quotes that were far below anything that they had offered previously," the Senator said.
She added: "She [Mary Harney] should be applauded for squeezing a better deal from these companies, but the question now arises, that if she was able to play hardball with these multi-national companies in December 2009, why was she not able to do so in October 2008? The delay means that tens of thousands of girls who should have been given the vaccine, have been forced to go without."
The Department of Health also today revealed plans for a detection programme screening 60 to 69-year-olds for colorectal cancer in 2012.
(DW/GK)
Minister for Health Mary Harney announced the U-turn to reintroduce the controversially abandoned cervical cancer vaccination after the Government ruled them out in the last budget due to financial constraint.
Mrs Harney said she cut costs of the vaccination programme from the original €16m bill to just €3m after opening negotiations with two vaccine makers last year.
"The reason why this is now possible is because vaccine companies have offered substantially better prices for Ireland," the minister said.
"I think there's a general lesson here for the health service as well as for the public service -- we can do an awful lot more for the same amount of money if we get better value."
Today, Fine Gael TD Margaret Conlon said the Cervical Cancer vaccination was to be made available to all school girls in the first year of secondary school this year.
The Minister said she was "delighted" the Government was now in a position to introduce the vaccination.
"The Government was not in a position to introduce the vaccination some time ago because of prohibitive costs, but vaccine companies have now offered the Government considerably better prices for Ireland."
Today the Labour Senator Phil Prendergast welcomed the turnaround saying it was a positive measure that would save many lives.
"Minister Harney claimed today that she has only been able to do this as a result of getting a better deal from the vaccine manufacturers. She said that she spoke to the pharmaceutical companies in early December and that they came back to her in the meantime with quotes that were far below anything that they had offered previously," the Senator said.
She added: "She [Mary Harney] should be applauded for squeezing a better deal from these companies, but the question now arises, that if she was able to play hardball with these multi-national companies in December 2009, why was she not able to do so in October 2008? The delay means that tens of thousands of girls who should have been given the vaccine, have been forced to go without."
The Department of Health also today revealed plans for a detection programme screening 60 to 69-year-olds for colorectal cancer in 2012.
(DW/GK)
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