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news.Biological products company CSL has said that the Australian government will make Merck & Co.'s cervical cancer Gardasil available to school girls aged 12 to 18 years under a new government-funded National Immunization Program.
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As part of the scheme, a free vaccine program for women aged 19-26 will also be delivered by doctors.
CSL said that the immunization program will commence in 2007. The Australian government expects to spend a total of $436 million on the purchase of the vaccine over a four year period.
Originally a government advisory committee rejected a request by CSL to subsidize Gardasil, claiming that the three-shot course was too expensive.
Cervical cancer kills about 250,000 women annually, making it the second-biggest cause of death among female cancer patients globally, according to the World Health Organization.
“The combination of a national immunization program with Gardasil, and regular two yearly pap semars means that we could substantially reduce the burden of cervical cancer and pre-cancers,” said Dr Brian McNamee CEO of CSL.