The UK’s leading cervical cancer charity, Jo’s Trust, has welcomed the UK’s Department of Health’s announcement that the HPV vaccine, Cervarix will be used in the national immunisation programme for 12/13 year olds starting in September, 2008.
Pamela Morton, Director of Jo’s Trust, said:
“This is a wonderful moment for young women in England; for the first time their future health can be protected against a very common virus that causes 75% of all cervical cancers. 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer are reported in the UK each year and tragically, 1,000 women lose their lives so my sincere wish is that the implementation of a national immunisation programme in September will, alongside the national screening programme contribute to a significant reduction in incidence and mortality in the near future.
“James Maxwell founded Jo’s Trust almost ten years ago. Sadly, he did not live to see his vision that the trust make a difference to women’s lives as he died five years ago today at the age of 46 from a brain tumour. He would have been so proud.”
Jo’s Trust is a registered charity established in 1999 by James Maxwell in memory of his wife Jo who died of cervical cancer.
Source: Jo’s Trust, UK