McCarthy in call for cervical cancer vaccination to be extended to Northern Ireland

11.10.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 26th Oct 2007

Alliance Health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA

Alliance Health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has called on the Northern Irish Health Minister Michael McGimpsey to introduce vaccinations for schools girls to protect them from cervical cancer. His comments follow the news that school girls in England will be vaccinated against cervical cancer from September 2008, with Scotland and Wales likely to follow suit.

The Strangford MLA said: "The Health Minister Michael McGimpsey must follow England's decision and make sure that schools girls are vaccinated against cervical cancer.

"These vaccinations could save hundred of lives; something that I think would be well worth any financial cost.

"I recently sponsored an event at Stormont for Jo's Trust who are a cervical cancer charity that have been calling for these vaccinations. This has been something that I have been campaigning about for a long time and will continue to so until vaccinations are brought in here.

"If vaccinations are good enough for people in Britain then I can see no reason why it is not good enough for Northern Ireland.

"I am also slightly worried that this is another example of Northern Ireland playing catch up with the rest of Britain when it comes to medicine."

ENDS