South Africa approves HPV vaccines

South Africa's Medicines Control Council has reported the registration of two human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. These are: Gardasil, marketed by the USA-headquartered drug major Merck & Co via its local unit Merck Sharp and Dohme and Cervarix, developed by UK giant GlaxoSmithKline. However, the Johannesburg-based Business Day newspaper reports that the cost of the vaccines raises questions about the government's ability to fund an immunization program.

Lynette Denny, a cervical cancer specialist at the University of Cape Town, warned: "there are a lot of issues that need to be resolved before recommending implementation of the vaccine into the public health sector, the most important being cost." Prof Denny's concerns are mirrored by GSK spokesman Alain Brecx, who said: "price is not the only issue. One of the key questions is whether it is feasible to successfully vaccinate a cohort of adolescent girls."