Emma McMahon: Hello?

Today, five children are agreeing to lose their mother. It’s probably a loss that could have been prevented. All cancers are devastating, but the “what-ifs” in the case of Emma Mhic Mhathúna were particularly traumatic. Amanda Cassidy reports on the importance of the HPV vaccine and asks if providing vaccines to sons and daughters can prevent more deaths.

What if she knew before? What if she gets treatment? What if Emma was a cancer survivor rather than a cancer victim? What if my five children still have a mother? Compliments are paid to Emma Mhic Mahathúna, one of the women at the heart of the Irish cervical cancer scandal who died on the weekend. The 37-year-old woman was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016 after a 2013 cervical cancer test smear test erroneously revealed the full story. There is no guarantee that the first signs of cancer have been found, but anyone can think of it.of If so?

Emma’s story is one of courage, devastation, disappointment, and inspiration. She died, but first had to fight for her truth.

That fighting effort means that her children are financially safe (she took legal action and was awarded € 7.5 million)-they have little comfort so far. There is none.

The Minister of Health was one of the first to make a statement after Emma’s death at the age of 37. “We need to defeat this cancer with vaccination and screening,” Simon Harris said, and vowed that “we decided to build a program suitable for women such as: Emma “. The Cancer Society praised Emma’s “tremendous courage” and raised awareness of the importance of preventative measures such as the HPV vaccine.

“Through vaccination and the best possible screening program for women, Irish cervical cancer could be eliminated within a generation. As part of MsMhic Mhathúna’s legacy, we now do this. We must strive to do everything we can to make it happen. “

But not only to make sure the system is set up to save people from this cancer actually At work, I need to rethink why I only provide my daughters with the HPV vaccine. What if I could do more?

Newstalk presenters and GP Ciara Kelly used her platform yesterday to urge parents to vaccinate their children (not just their daughters) to protect them from this “terrible illness.”

Genderless illness

If Emma’s legacy is to save more lives, what if the government extended the HPV vaccine to boys?

“If the HPV vaccine was available when I was a boy, I wouldn’t have had laryngeal cancer more than 30 years later.” Jamie Ray was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2010. .. He says he is concerned about the lack of available information on the causes and prevention of HPV-related illnesses. In fact, it urged him to set up a supportive charity, the Pharyngeal Cancer Foundation, for those in need of an answer. He is currently campaigning for many years to ensure that boys get the same vaccinations as girls. “HPV is ubiquitous and potentially very dangerous. It can cause cervical cancer in women, but anal cancer, penile cancer, and mouth that can develop in men. It is associated with 5% of all cancers in the world, including cancer. I base this on the overwhelming majority of studies I have seen over the years and the myriad of experts I have spoken to. So I’m desperate for the boy to receive it. “

In July, the British government announced that all boys aged 12 and 13 in the United Kingdom would be vaccinated against HPV. The girl’s program there has already reduced the prevalence of the major cancer-causing types of HPV by more than 80%. Health ministry spokesman Steve Brine said he was pleased that the move meant protecting more people from the catastrophic illness.

“Every vaccination program needs to be well-founded to get the best results for the patient, but from father to son, we understand the reassurance this brings to parents.”

Dispel myths

In Ireland, approximately 540 cancers associated with HPV infection are diagnosed annually in Irish patients. The incidence of cervical cancer is the highest in Western Europe, with 90 deaths each year. This summer, our own health watchdog, HIQA, announced that it has begun a public consultation process to see if the HPV vaccination program should be extended to teenage boys in the country. .. Currently, the vaccine is only given to girls aged 12 to 13 years and is usually given to first graders in middle school.The reason given at this age is for vaccination Before Initiating sexual activity is most effective in preventing HPV infection.

But what exactly is HPV? Human papillomavirus is a common sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cancer of the neck, vagina, anus, penis, mouth, and throat. There are hundreds of strains of the HPV virus, most of which are harmless, but about 12 can cause cancer. According to HSE, more than 80% of Irish women are usually infected with HPV in their late teens or early twenties.

In most cases, the virus is cleared spontaneously and is asymptomatic. However, in some cases, it can cause genital warts and form cancer. This is a viral infection, most of which is transmitted by heterosexual contact. Therefore, it is important to consider boys as equal players in this process.

What if we adopt the best practices in the world?

Dr. Julie Kearney is a family GP in South Dublin. She says giving the HPV vaccine to both boys and girls is considered a global best practice.

“The HPV vaccine is currently recommended for men and women by the US Immunization Advisory Board and in the UpToDate database used by physicians around the world.”

“The cost-benefit ratio is not as good for men as it is for women, but it can be beneficial for boys for many reasons. In resource-constrained jurisdictions, HPV vaccination is recommended only for girls. Anal genital cancer and penis cancer (90% HPV 16 and 18), along with 90% of genital ulcers (90% of genital ulcers caused by HPV 6 and 11), as well as certain mesopharyngeal cancers in men It can prevent (caused by). Through mass immunization, the general public also benefits, thus reducing the level of HPV in the community. “

So how limited are Ireland’s resources? And what are the cost implications of deploying this vaccine to boys? According to HIQA, if the service were deployed to boys of the same age, it could cost around € 2 million annually. The HPV vaccine is relatively new and is still more expensive than established vaccines for diseases such as measles and tetanus. Therefore, the budgetary implications of extending the program to everyone are being scrutinized.

What if we could protect more people?

However, extending the vaccination program to boys here not only helps prevent such diseases, but also protects more gay men who can get protection from the virus at a younger age. Probably. Unvaccinated men have sex with other unvaccinated men, so they are effectively left without protection from the HPV and are much more vulnerable to infection.

There are also priorities that prove successful in granting vaccinations to boys. Austria, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States are already providing vaccines to both girls and boys. In fact, Australia is now on track to become the first country to virtually eradicate cervical cancer thanks to vaccines. Since 2007, free HPV vaccination has been offered to all girls aged 12 or 13 in Australia. Ten years later, the proportion of women aged 18 to 24 years infected with HPV decreased from 22.7% to 1.5%.

In Italy, vaccinations for boys and girls are becoming more and more common. Professor Paolo Bonanni of the University of Florence says there should be no gender discrimination when it comes to saving lives.

“Men are also affected by important and sometimes fatal HPV-related illnesses, and unlike women, it is becoming increasingly clear that they are not covered by screening programs. During that time, vaccine costs have been reduced and teens have been affected. The reduction in recommended doses has made HPV vaccination of boys an important and cost-effective tool. “

What if it made my child sick?

And what about the controversy over the vaccine itself? Some parents resisted because they felt that the cervical cancer vaccine could cause reactions and very catastrophic side effects. Others believe that it has the potential to promote sexual activity among teens. However, the study refutes both of these beliefs. Many recognize that the benefits outweigh the risks and the HPV infection rate is declining. This means that HPV is working.

After all, it comes down to risk assessment. The HPV vaccine used in school programs is called Gardasil. The vaccine is licensed and supported by the World Health Organization. Their latest research, World Health Organization (WHO) Review of Research, The vaccine reportedly had a 90% to 100% efficacy rate in the prevention of HPV infection. The vaccine can prevent HPV for several years after administration, but it does not cure in existing cases. Beginning every September, HSE will provide vaccinations to all first-year girls in second-year schools. However, after a prominent vaccine repellent campaign, intake rates dropped dramatically from a high of 87% to a low of 50%. Some parents are nervous about reporting side effects such as chronic fatigue, nausea, swelling of joints, gastrointestinal problems, drowsiness, and menstrual disorders.

Dr. Vaz is a head and neck surgeon at the University of London. He told the BBC that he had paid £ 450 to vaccinate his three sons. “With herd immunity, I hope it works and protects boys, but it doesn’t. The net is fairly widely cast, but people can go through it now. , Not protecting everyone. “

Informed decisions

According to the HSE, 590,694 vaccinations have been given to junior high school girls in grades 1 and 6 since 2010, when vaccinations began here in Ireland. This means that only 0.18% of people reported a response.According to, more than 200 million doses of HPV vaccine have been given worldwide HSE.

In no country, vaccines have serious scientifically-induced side effects. In addition, WHO supports it. In fact, they were pretty straightforward when it came to the stance that “the benefits of the HPV vaccine continue to outweigh the risks.”

Very personal choice

Today, Coquery’s five children are mourning the death of their mother. More than 200 women live with the knowledge that their cancer may have been prevented but not. So many people whose lives may have been different. Of course, when it comes to children’s health, we all have the right to hesitate. It is the privilege of all parents to ask, scrutinize and investigate all aspects of the well-being of our children. Our responsibilities include providing information to ourselves ( Real Medical advice, not social media opinion). The vaccine has been developed to prevent the development of certain types of cancer and immunize against potentially harmful viruses that can save lives. I believe our sons should be given the same level of protection before we have to endure more preventable illnesses that will ruin more young lives. What if you could save them all?

You will find more information about cervical cancer vaccination programs for Irish schools Here..