KEY POINTS:
Girls as young as 11 may be targeted in a Government communications campaign on vaccination against the sexually-transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer.
The plan is expected to draw criticism from conservative groups and has already spurred concern from the Catholic church.
The Government is yet to state if it will fund the vaccine but offering it from next February is a high priority for the Ministry of Health.
The ministry began negotiating late last year for the supply of one or both of the vaccines which protect against infection with two types of human papilloma virus (HPV) linked to 70 per cent of cervical cancers.
Prime Minister Helen Clark told the Labour Party conference in November that she was seeking urgent advice on the vaccine after the British Government decided in October to proceed with it.
Documents obtained by the Herald under the Official Information Act show that days later, ministry officials told her and Health Minister David Cunliffe that they intended to make preparations in anticipation of funding for the vaccine in this year's Budget.
These included "scoping of a communications programme for parents and schoolgirls about the vaccine."
This could come in a social marketing campaign on immunisation in general, HPV vaccination, the ongoing need for cervical smears, and sex education messages.
Officials are aware of the concerns of some over giving what they say has been dubbed a "'sex vaccine' to pre-pubescent girls".
" ... a key issue for the ministry ... would be communication to individuals and parents about immunising children to prevent a future sexually-transmitted disease."
Mr Cunliffe yesterday declined to comment on HPV vaccine funding or communications.
The ministry has previously recommended vaccinating girls from the age of 11 or 13, with a catch-up for older girls up to 15, but the starting age will be based on "acceptability"; a parental-attitudes survey is planned.
Vaccination supporters want it given before girls typically first have sex, to maximise the chance of avoiding infection with the HPV types covered by the vaccines. If given at 11, it could be delivered at the same time as another state-funded vaccination.
The church supported giving HPV vaccines to girls, but the decision to vaccinate particular girls was for their parents to make, so any communication or education campaign should target them, not their children, Catholic Education Office chief executive Brother Pat Lynch said yesterday.
One of the HPV vaccines, Gardasil, costs around $450.Mass-vaccination costs have been blacked out in the ministry documents, but it is estimated it would avoid 3584 cases of cervical cancer over a 90-year period.
About 180 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and around 60 die from the disease. Even with vaccination, regular cervical smear tests are recommended because the vaccines do not cover all HPV types linked to cancer.
HPV VACCINE
* Gives women greater protection against the sexually-transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer.
* Likely to be given free to girls as young as 11 from next year.
* Predicted to avoid 3584 cases of cervical cancer over a 90-year period.
