MULTINATIONAL drug companies are pressing the government to introduce a cervical cancer vaccination programme by flying experts to Ireland to talk to consultants.

At least one of the companies, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), hopes to meet Mary Harney, the health minister, to try to convince her to put a vaccine contract for the programme out to tender.

GSK claims Harney cannot estimate the cost of the scheme until after a competitive bidding process, and predicts that the price will be much lower than the €14m quoted by the health department.

Last week, Sanofi Pasteur MSD, which produces the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, sponsored a trip to Ireland by Professor Margaret Stanley of Cambridge University, an expert on cervical cancer. Stanley was in Dublin on Thursday to speak to a group of consultants and public healthcare professionals about the benefits of the vaccine.

“From the point of view of the medical profession, it is disappointing that the Irish government has decided not to go ahead with the programme. I understand that the minister is under financial pressure, but it all comes down to priorities. If women’s health is a priority in Ireland, then the introduction of the immunisation programme should be. It is that clear-cut,” she said.

Stanley said that the screening programme planned by the government was a positive move but not sufficient. She pointed to international evidence that showed that the number of women under 35 being screened for cervical cancer was falling.

“Screening is great, but it is not enough,” she said. “It’s an opt-in treatment, and more women are choosing not to opt in. In the UK, we have one of the best screening programmes in the world and even with that we only prevent about 76% of cervical cancers.

“Now that we have combined the vaccination with the screening, we ought to get well over 90% prevention. This is a huge opportunity for women’s health.”

GSK is sponsoring the visit to Ireland on Friday of Dr Anne Szarewski, another cervical cancer expert, who is clinical consultant at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in the UK. Szarewski will also be speaking to Irish consultants, healthcare professionals and stakeholders about the importance of the vaccine.

A spokeswoman for Harney said the minister is already convinced of the important role a vaccine programme would play “as part of a cohesive response” to cervical cancer.

“The decision not to proceed at this point is not based on the scientific evidence, but is related to the need to prioritise scarce resources given the current state of the public finances,” she said.

Commenting on the estimates given for the vaccine programme, Claire Taaffe, communications manager for GSK, said it was impossible to be exact but she expected the cost would be considerably lower than the figures mentioned.

“If the government issues a tender, then obviously, because of the very nature of the competitive bidding process, it wouldn’t cost anything near €10m,” she said.

“The tender process in the UK was so competitive that the government found it could afford to expand its original plans and extend it to girls up to the age of 18. Issuing a tender is not a commitment, and at least it will allow the government to know the real cost of the vaccine.

“Things are at a standstill at the moment, and we think that this would be a way forward. We have a real chance to erase cervical cancer from Ireland. We want to take any steps that would bring us closer to that goal.”

The health department said that a tender process could not be commenced “as such a process has considerable associated administrative costs which would most likely have to be repeated when the vaccination programme is being introduced”.

Ireland is in a minority of countries in Europe which are not in the process of setting up a vaccination programme. Estonia and Malta are among those who have decided not to establish a scheme. Programmes have already been introduced in 13 EU states, with many countries introducing catch-up programmes to include girls up to the age of 18.

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