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On October 16, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Gardasil in boys aged 9-26 years and the use of Cervarix in girls aged 10-25 years. 

Gardasil, made by Merck, is already FDA-approved for use in girls aged 10-25 years.  While the FDA approved Gardasil for use in boys, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) did not urge for routine use of the vaccine in boys as it has for girls.  As a result, the vaccine may not be offered by all doctors and may not be covered by insurance.

Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, is only FDA-approved for girls and only protects against the two cancer-causing HPV strains (16 & 18).  The use of Cervarix in girls was voted favorably by ACIP; thus, the vaccine should be readily available and covered by insurance.

The next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will include recommendations and a vote on HPV vaccines.  The Committee's meeting is scheduled for October 21-22, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The agenda items include discussions and votes on the cost-effectiveness, safety, and efficacy of the HPV vaccines.  The Committee is integral to the establishment of safe and effective vaccines in the U.S.

Click here to learn more about ACIP and to read the agenda for the upcoming meeting.

The Pre-Teen Vaccine Campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has new materials specific to Native Americans.  In addition to the general population campaign materials, the CDC has created campaign posters, web buttons, and flyers for Native Americans located in the Northwest and Southwest.  These campaign materials aim to increase HPV vaccination coverage for pre-teens aged 11 and 12 years.

Click here to visit the CDC's website to learn more and to order the campaign materials.

On September 17, 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the vaccination coverage rates for 2008 for American preteen and teens aged 13 to 17 years.  In 2008, 37.2% of adolescent females had started the HPV vaccine series compared with 25.1% of adolescent females in 2007. 

While this data is promising, HPV vaccination coverage varies among states, race, and poverty status. Only 15.8% of Mississippi's adolescent females versus 54.7% of Rhode Island's adolescent females had started the HPV vaccine series.

Click here to read CDC's complete vaccination coverage report including each state's rates.

On September 9, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended approval of HPV Vaccines Gardasil (Merck) and Cervarix (GlaxoSmithKline).

The Committee voted 7-0, with one abstaining vote, that Gardasil's clinical data supported the vaccine's efficacy in preventing genital warts in males ages 9 to 26.  Merck's data indicated that Gardasil was 89% effective in preventing genital warts (HPV 6 & 11).  Gardasil is already FDA-approved for use in females ages 9 to 26.

The Commitee also voted 12-1 and 11-1 that Cervarix's clinical data supported the vaccine's efficacy and safety, respectively, in preventing cervical cancer.  GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix is for use in females ages 10 to 25 and targets 2 HPV types (16 & 18).

While the Committee has recommended approval, the FDA will make the final decision whether or not the HPV vaccines will be approved.

In July, the WHO approved GlaxoSmithKline’s bivalent HPV vaccine, enabling the United Nations agencies and partners to officially purchase millions of doses for use in low-income nations. The global health association GAVI is a major buyer of vaccines for the developing world and GSK plans to collaborate with GAVI to finance provision of the vaccine. Cervarix is not yet approved by the FDA but is currently available in 97 other countries.

To read the article click here.
 

On June 26, 2009 Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed into law House Bill 2794. This bill, introduced by Representative Carolyn Tomei, mandates that all health benefit plans include coverage of the HPV vaccine for female beneficiaries between 11 and 26 years of age. Oregon joins Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, and Rhode Island in mandating insurance coverage of the HPV vaccine.

To read House Bill 2794 click here.
 

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network released How Do You Measure Up? A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality. This report summarizes and rates state legislative action in cancer reduction policy areas, including state commitment to early detection programs for breast and cervical cancer. Nine states (Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York) received a “green” grade (the highest score) for appropriating state dollars above the required match amount for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Women in Government commends these state legislations on their commitment to this important and life-saving program.

To download a copy of the report, visit: www.acscan.org

Click here to view the press release

Jhpiego's approach for detecting and treating pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix during a single visit (usually a nurse or midwife) has proved to be a cost effective and sustainable solution for the prevention of cancer of the cervix in developing countries that tend to have fewer resources, making the traditional Pap test rare. The single visit approach (SVA) combines testing and treatment in one visit, an important advantage in developing nations where access to high quality services remains a challenge.  Based on results from projects in Ghana and Thailand, Jhpiego believes that the SVA as an effective, low-cost preventive measure against cervical cancer.

Read the Article.

Watch the Video.

Women In Government Board Member, Representative Kathy Hawken, along with North Dakota State Directors, Representative Lois Delmore and Representative Shirley Meyer held a press conference in Bismarck to promote Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.

The House of Representatives officially recognized January 2009 as "Cervical Cancer Awareness Month" as of January 27, 2009.  Among the signatories of House Resolution 5 was Women In Government State Director, Pennsylvania Representative Julie Harhart.  The Resolution aims at increasing awarness of cervical cancer and its primary cause, the human papillomavirus, and recognizes that through education and screening, women can decrease their likelihood of developing cervical cancer.

Women In Government member, Connecticut State Representative DebraLee Hovey, was featured in the Winter 2009 issue of UMF's Alumni Magazine for her involvement in the 2007 introduction of House Bill 6085 which would have mandated that all Connecticut girls receive the HPV vaccine by the age of 12. The bill was killed in committee during the 2007 session, but Representative Hovey's bill captured national and international public and media attention - both positive and negative - and led to her January 2008 keynote address to the European Parliament members, physicians, researchers and health policy staff in Brussels. Representative Hovey, a breast cancer survivor, states her belief that prevention of cervical cancer should be advocated for, and has now focused her efforts on educational campaigns. Women In Government commends Representative Hovey's tireless efforts in the fight against cervical cancer.

Read the Article.

Read House Bill 6085.

Senator Nan Orrock (GA), member of Women In Government's Board of Directors, held a press conference this week promoting the Pearl of Wisdom Campaign in Georgia.  Senator Orrock recently attended the Third Annual Cervical Cancer Summit, hosted by the European Cervical Cancer Association, in Brussels, Belgium. Senator Orrock gave a keynote address on behalf of Women In Government, highlighting our efforts to eliminate cervical cancer in the US and around the globe.

View the Press Conference Here

Washington, DC - January 16, 2009 - A report released today shows that states are making progress in the fight against cervical cancer. As this report indicates there is substantial variation in progress with cervical cancer prevention efforts - especially for underserved populations - across the states. Among the steps that states still need to take to make effective cervical cancer prevention a reality for women at all socioeconomic levels is to increase funding for screening and vaccination programs to ensure access for women who are uninsured or underinsured. These findings are from "A Roadmap for Success: The State of Cervical Cancer Prevention in America 2009," the fifth annual state-by-state comparison report released today by Women In Government, a non-profit, bi-partisan organization representing women state legislators.

Read the Press Release Here

View "A Roadmap for Success: The State of Cervical Cancer Prevention in America 2009"