A national roadshow to promote Scotland's first mass anti-cancer vaccinations to girls is rolling into Edinburgh tomorrow (August 7).
As part of its national tour, the roadshow will visit the Gyle Shopping Centre on Thursday between 11am and 5pm. It aims to inform teenage girls and young women about the Scottish Government's HPV immunisation campaign and how it can protect them against cervical cancer.
The roadshow is backed by a national advertising and information campaign that aims to raise awareness of what is the NHS in Scotland's first ever mass anti-cancer vaccination campaign.
The vaccination will be offered on a routine basis from this September to girls in S2 at high schools. A three-year "catch-up" campaign also begins this year to vaccinate girls aged 13-17, including those who have already left school.
Immunisation will protect girls against two strains of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) that cause around 70 per cent of cervical cancers.
Minister for Public Health Shona Robison said:
"Cervical cancer kills more than a hundred Scottish women every year, and touches the lives of many hundreds more.
"Through this simple, effective vaccine we can ensure future generations are protected against the virus responsible for almost three quarters of cervical cancers.
"The lifesaving HPV vaccination is an enormous public health breakthrough that will help prevent young Scottish women from developing a potentially deadly disease."
Dr Martin Donaghy, Medical Director of Health Protection Scotland, said:
"This is an exciting new immunisation programme for Scotland, and will deliver health benefits to women nationwide. It will protect future generations of girls from developing cervical cancer, and will mean many more will not have to undergo invasive treatments later in life.
"Whilst this is a challenging and complex programme to deliver, it is also a huge step forward in terms of cancer prevention.
"Hundreds of health professionals have already been trained and I'm confident everyone's hard work will pay off when the programme starts from 1 September."
The HPV vaccine does not take the place of regular cervical screening. It is vital that girls who are vaccinated attend for screening every three years between the ages of 20 and 60.
The Scottish Government has set aside £64 million over the next three years, with health boards receiving an additional £1.5 million in 2008-09 to administer the HPV campaign. Around 30,000 will be routinely immunised each year, with an extra 120,000 girls and young women immunised in the three-year catch-up campaign.
For further information on Scotland's HPV vaccination campaign, please see www.fightcervicalcancer.org.uk.
Leaflets and other information will be issued through schools when term begins providing further information on the vaccination programme and how HPV causes cervical cancer.
The vaccine is administered as three injections in the arm over a six-month period.
