Debated in Parliament on 14 Jan 2019.
Ms Irene Quay Siew Ching asked the Minister for Health why the Gardasil vaccine is not replaced with the Gardasil-9 vaccine under the MediSave claimable list as the latter drug (launched since 2017) covers more strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and increases overall cervical cancer prevention from 70% to up to 90%.
There are currently three human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines available in Singapore – Cervarix, Gardasil and Gardasil 9.
In Singapore, HPV vaccination is recommended for females aged nine to 26, and MediSave use is extended for vaccinations using Cervarix or Gardasil. These two vaccines protect against HPV infection from two of the most common types (16 and 18), which account for 70% of cervical cancer cases, and have been shown to be both clinically- and cost-effective in the local setting.
Gardasil 9 is a relatively new vaccine which potentially extends protection against additional cancer-causing HPV types. The Ministry of Health is currently in the process of evaluating its cost-effectiveness, compared to the other HPV vaccines.
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