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FORTY YOUNG GIRLS will die of cervical cancer as a result of the falling uptake in the HPV vaccine, said Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell.
“Due to various factors, including a fairly aggressive social media campaign and various claims about side effects of the vaccine, we are now heading towards an uptake rate of under 50%, which is very concerning, because it is completely in breach of the concept of herd immunity,” she told the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday.
O’Connell, who is pharmacist, said that when the former Minister of Health Mary Harney introduced the vaccine, it was expected the uptake would be about 80%.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said from the years 2014 -2015, there was an 87% uptake in the vaccine – the highest since the programme began in 2010.
Drop in uptake of the vaccine
While the minister said he does not have the final figures for 2015 -2016, preliminary figures released by the HSE indicate that about 5,000 fewer girls received the vaccine in this period in comparison to the previous year.
This significant decline varies around the country, with western and southern counties most affected, said the minister.
“I am very much aware of the misinformation that is out there… I am extremely concerned about the impact this is having on the health and wellbeing of the women in this country,” added Harris.
He said it was “extremely regrettable”, stating that about 100 die of cervical cancer in Ireland every year.
I am concerned that it is related to some unsubstantiated concerns about the HPV vaccine safety raised by groups.
O’Connell said the vaccine introduced the “possibility of eradicating cervical cancer for the likes of my young daughters”.
She said the next phase of the vaccine was to be introduced for young boys.
O’Connell said there has been a “huge rise” in head, neck, anal and genital cancers in men.
“Young boys in this country as a result of a campaign are not being vaccinated. There is a sense of inequality there… the boys are not getting what we had planned to give them,” she said.
The minister said he wanted to put on the record his absolute support for the HPV vaccine.
Harris urged parents to inform themselves about the vaccine by visiting the HSE website which provides information about the virus and the vaccine. He said the information has been accredited by the World Health Organisation, amongst many other international expert groups.
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€462 less 33% Dirt = €103 per year or €2 er week.
Seriously, how is anyone arguing that €2 per week on €10,000 put away for 3 years is actually a good deal when inflation will be over 2% for the same period.
I get that people dislike Irish banks but this isn’t the correct issue to be highlighting- it just perpetuates the appalling levels of financial illiteracy we have in this country.
Encouraging people to make a less %hitty decision is not good financial advice.
Deposit rates will never beat inflation over the longer term, the entire global financial system is set up to ensure this.
Why not educate people about the benefits of choosing a well diversified low cost investment and actually grow the value of their savings rather than fool them into thinking that 2.46% gross is a good deal.
It’s not – it’s lousy.
@Wombleman: We need to. Its the future of how we earn money when jobs are no longer necessary
@Wombleman: Well said. Not worth the bother moving it, or the ball ache of reporting DIRT….. that’s why deposits are in current not savings accounts
@RC247: that makes no financial sense when moving it actually saves your money eroding with inflation. Irish banks are scamming you & making money off you by doing so!
@Wombleman: The vast majority of people are never going invest in that way. Most don’t even move their money into an account with a higher interest rate. The banks are making money by sticking peoples money on deposit with the ECB and ripping the average saver off. It should not be allowed.
Just moved my BOI, PTSB and An Post savings to TFBank at 3.90% fixed for 1 year.
We desperately need a tax free savings & investments scheme just like the UK ISA system, the Canadian TFSA system or the (unfortunately named) US IRA savings vehicle. In the UK, residents can deposit up to £10,000/yr and earn interest free from tax.
Why would anyone think that a bank will do anything other than take their money?
I dont understand why people are still using Irish banks. It is easy enough to open non-resident accounts in other European countries and avail of better customer service, better rates, and lower fees. Also part of the instant SEPA system unlike the Irish banks which are the only EU country yet to sign up to the protocol because the Irish banks deem it “too costly” to upgrade the technological infrastructure. I think the EU deadline was 2021, yet the Irish banks project it will be 2027 until they can partake in the system.
@Niall English: I thought Ireland was a full SEPA member… Do the Irish banks not ‘play the game’?
I didn’t encounter any problems moving my direct debits to a GB or LT Revolut account before it became IE, both with utilities and with credit card, loans, etc.
@Jerry LeFrog: they are a member of SEPA but they do not have capability of the SEPA Instant Credit Transfer Protocol e.g, instant transfer in 10 seconds. Irish bank transfers still take one working day. Its archaic stuff, technological infrastructure needs a serious upgrade and they complain they dont have the funding for this. Be nice to get into the 21st century banking. They were hoping this would be solved with that app they were going to launch together (BOI, AIB, and PTSB) but that got canned a few months ago.
F the Irish banking cartel!
have your say