Starting in November, seventh-grade girls are to get government-funded vaccinations against the human papilloma virus (HPV), with about 100,000 students to benefit annually, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said.
Cervical cancer has for many years been among the top 10 cancers among women, with an average of 1,500 new cases and more than 600 deaths reported in Taiwan each year, according to Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics.
There are more than 100 types of HPV, at least 13 of which can cause cancer, a 2016 WHO fact sheet on HPV and cervical cancer showed.
Nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be attributed to HPV infection, including HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers and precancerous cervical lesions, the WHO report said.
In an effort to reduce incidents of cervical cancer, the HPA was given a budget of about NT$250 million (US$8.53 million) to fund HPV vaccines for seventh graders, starting in November, it said.
There are three types of HPV vaccines — bivalent, quadrivalent and nine-valent vaccines — that are administered on a two or three-dose schedule, HPA Cancer Prevention and Control Division Director Wu Chien-yuan (吳建遠) said, adding that all three types of vaccines can protect against HPV types 16 and 18, and that studies have suggested that the schedules are equally effective.
The WHO recommends vaccination for girls aged nine to 13, as it is the most cost-effective public health measure against cervical cancer, she said.
The policy is expected to benefit about 100,000 girls per year and save the program about NT$6,000 per vaccine by using the two-dose schedule, she said.
While statistics show many cases of Taiwanese women who were vaccinated after being diagnosed with precancerous cervical lesions, vaccines cannot treat HPV infection or HPV-associated disease, Wu said.
They work best if administered before first sexual activity and prior to HPV exposure, she added.
HPV vaccines have been in development for more than 10 years, preventing against about 90 percent of cervical cancers, the administration said.
While about 80 countries provide government-funded HPV vaccination, projects for administering free HPV vaccines to special areas have been conducted in eight counties and cities in Taiwan, it said.
The government’s effort to fund and promote Pap smears has significantly reduced the number of cervical cancer cases, Taipei Medical University Hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology director Liu Wei-min (劉偉民) said, adding that the HPV vaccination policy would hopefully further reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in Taiwan.
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
RSS