Cervical cancer vaccine launched

Kathmandu, March 9:

As part of introducing a vaccine — Gardasil — that prevents cervical cancer, four teenage girls today, got shots of Gardasil for the first time in Nepal at a function organised by Embassy of Australia.

Gardasil was developed by Prof Ian Frazer of the University of Queensland in Australia and

one requires to take three shots within six months. The Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation (ACCF) that provides the vaccine to young women in developing countries has joined hands with NNCTR/INCTR to provide Gardasil in Nepal.

This vaccine is given to females in the age group of nine to 26 years. “We’ll administer the vaccine to 96 schoolgirls in the first phase,” said Dr Surendra Bade Shrestha, president of Nepal Network for Cancer Treatment and Research/International Network of Cancer Treatment and Research (NNCTR/INCTR).

Dr Shrestha said, “Though the vaccine cost Rs 25,000 per person in the international market, we are charging only 4 per cent of the cost as the ACCF is providing it free of cost.”

Michael Wille, executive chairman of ACCF said, “The ACCF has chosen Nepal as the first country to benefit from the programme.”