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18 Oct 2010
Question No: 119
Question
Name of the Person: Mdm Halimah Yacob
To ask the Minister for Health whether he will consider (i) implementing the recommendation of the Expert Committee for Immunisation to include the vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) in the childhood immunization programme; or (ii) subsidizing the cost of the vaccine which is still too high for low-income families.
Reply
Reply From MOH
My Ministry has accepted the recommendation of the Expert Committee on Immunisation (ECI) to include the HPV vaccine in the National Childhood Immunisation Programme for girls aged 9 and above. The ECI has further recommended that we encourage the parents to discuss the HPV vaccination with their family doctors, so that they can make an informed decision on whether to vaccinate their daughters. We will adopt the approach as recommended.
2. Needy parents with financial difficulty can apply for subsidy at the polyclinics, if they find the cost unaffordable.