The audio is in isiZulu. See the English summary below.

MABUTHO: Ngokusho kuka Professor Lynn Denny osemnyangweni wezifo eziphathelene nabantu besifazane enyuvesi yase Cape Town uthi lelikhambi iGardasil elikhiqizwa inkampani yemithi iMerck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) lithe ukwehluka kancane kwi Cervarix cancer vaccine ekhiqizwa iGlaxo-Smith-Kline nelibhaliswe ngokusemthethweni iMedicines Control Council ngenyanga eyedlule. Uthi lelikhambi lehluke ngokuthi aligcini nje ngokulwisana nezinhlobo ezimbili zegciwane elidala umdlavuza wesibeletho iHuman Papilloma Virus 16 kanye no 18 njengoba kwenza iCervarix. Uthi lelikhambi liphinde lilwisana nezinye izinhlobo ezimbili zaleligciwane okuyi Human Papilloma Virus 6 kanye no 11, ezidala isifo socansi esaziwa ngele genital warts.

PROF. LYNN DENNY: The Glaxo-Smith-Kline vaccine is what we call a bivalent vaccine. In other words, it targets 16 and 18. And it has been marketed for preventing cervical cancer and its precursors. The MSD vaccine is a quadrivalent vaccine. In other words, it includes HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18. It targets genital warts, which is a benign disease, and cancer. So, it includes more types.

MABUTHO: Womabili lamakhambi iCervarix kanye ne Gardasil asebenza ngendlela egculisayo (100%) ukulwisana nezinhlobo ezimbili zegciwane iHuman Papilloma Virus, okungu 16 kanye no 18. IGardasil yona iphinde ikwazi ukulwisana ne Human Papiloma Virus 6 kanye no 11 ngendlela egculisayo (100%). Cishe onke amakhambi aba nama side effects okanye ububi obuhambisana nawo. Maqondana nalokhu, uDr Beverly Cowper, ongumqondisi wenkampani ekhiqiza lelikhambi leGardasil, iMerck Sharp and Dohme (MSD), uthi lelikhambi kalinawo ama side effects kulabo abalisebenzisayo. Uthi into engenzeka ukuthi mhlawumbe labo abalisebenzayo bangazwani nomjovo okungadala ukuvuvukala endaweni lapho bejove khona. Uthi kodwa ke njengoba sebezoqala balimakethe lelikhambi bazolubhekisisa kakhulu udaba lwama side effects kulabo abalisebenzisayo.

Dr BEVERLY COWPER: The side effect profile really relates to injection site redness, swelling and pain at the injection site. These are side effects that have occurred because it is an easily injected vaccine. Importantly, we will monitor all aspects of side effects going forward as we now market the product.

MABUTHO: Umjovo owodwa wekhambi lokuqala iCervarix , lenkampani iGlaxo-Smith-Kline ubiza uR700. Kanti lowo olisebenzisayo kumele athole imijovo emithathu egcwele. Lokhu kusho ukuthi kumele olisebenzisayo ukuze athole imijovo egcwele akhokhe uR2100. Lelikhambi lakamuva lona iGardasil, lenkampani iMerck Sharp and Dohme, libiza uR770. Nalo lelikhambi olisebenzisayo kumele athole imijovo emithathu egcwele esikhathini esingangezinyanga eziyisishagalolunye. Lokho kusho ukuthi kumele olusibenzisayo akhokhe imali engu R2310 ukuze athole imijovo egcwele. Okucacayo ngalelikhambi, nje ngalo leli elibizwa nge Cervarix, ukuthi liyabiza. Lokho kuzokwenza ukuthi labo abangenayo imali bangakwazi ukuthi balithole. UDr Cowper uthi inkampani yakhe izimisele ukusebenzisana nohulumeni kanye nabaxhasi abazimele ukuze lelikhambi litholwe iwo wonke umuntu olidingayo ngamanani amukelekile.

Dr BEVERLY COWPER: MSD certainly welcomes the opportunity to work with the South African government and donor organizations to define a path forward to accelerate the availability of this quadrivalent vaccine in the public sector, in a timely and affordable way. It’€™s very important that in South Africa the majority of people do get it through a public health funded programme.

MABUTHO: Khonamanjalo uMartha Molete we Cancer Association of South Africa, okuyinhlangano yabantu abaphila nesifo somdlavuza, uphinde wagcizelela ukuthi nakuba kuyizindaba ezinhle ukuba khona kwalelikhambi kepha akusizi kangako ngoba liyabiza. Uthi inhlangano yakhe ifisa ukuthi umnyango wezempilo ungenelele ngokuthi wenze kube khona ikhambi elitholakalayo nezofakwa ohlelweni lokuvikelwa kwamantombazanyana asemancane.

MARTHA MOLETE: We, as CANSA, would like to see an affordable vaccine that is part of the national immunization programme so that all girls get vaccinated below the age of 10 because that is when it is most effective. And as it stands now, it is very expensive. ‘€¦But at least, this is a step in the right direction. We really advocate for the Department of Health to consider an affordable vaccine in future.

MABUTHO: Lelikhambi iGardasil lenzelwe ukusetshenziswa ngabesifazane kusukela eminyakeni eyisishagalolunye kuyaphezulu. Olisebenzisayo kumele athole imijovo emithathu. Owokuqala umjovo ungathathwa noma nini, owesibili kumele uthathwe emva kwezinyanga ezimbili kanti owokugcina wona kumele uthathwe emva kwezinyanga eziyisithupha emva kowesibili. Kanti ngokusho kwabakhiqizi balo, lelikhambi alikwazi ukulapha umdlavuza wesibeletho kulabo asebenawo njengoba lenzelwe ukuwuvikela kuphela.

See the English summary below.

More good news for cervical cancer

In just less than two months after the registration of Glaxo-Smith-Kline’€™s cervical cancer vaccine by the Medicines Control Council, the regulatory body has registered yet another vaccine aimed at preventing the cancer.

Gardasil, a new cervical cancer vaccine produced by Meck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD), has an added advantage over the recently launched Cervarix. Gardasil offers protection to two more types of Human Papilloma Viruses, says Professor Lynne Denny from the Department of Gynaecology at the University of Cape Town.

‘€œThe Glaxo-Smith-Kline vaccine is what we call a bivalent vaccine. In other words, it targets HPV 16 and 18. And it has been marketed for preventing cervical cancer and its precursors. The MSD vaccine is a quadrivalent vaccine. It includes HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18. It targets genital warts, which is a benign disease, and cancer. So, it includes more types,’€ she said.

The two vaccines are 100% effective in preventing Human Papilloma Virus 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer. In addition, Gardasil was also found to be fully effective to protect against Human Papilloma Virus 6 and 11.

Dr Beverly Cowper, a Medical Director at MSD, added that the vaccine is safe to use. She, however, warned of possible side effects such as ‘€œinjection site redness, swelling and pain at the injection site’€.

Glaxo-Smith-Kline’€™s Cervarix costs R700.00 per injection dose. For efficacy, women would need a total of three doses over a course of a few months, which would bring the cost to R2100. Gardasil, on the other hand, costs R770.00 per injection dose. Also needing three doses spread over time, the total cost comes to R2310. The prices involved make both vaccines inaccessible to many girls and women who don’€™t have the means to pay for it. Speaking for MSD, manufacturers of Gardasil, Dr Cowper said ways have to be made to ensure that the vaccine reaches the majority of South Arican women.

‘€œMSD certainly welcomes the opportunity to work with the South African government and donor organizations to define a path forward to accelerate the availability of this quadrivalent vaccine in the public sector, in a timely and affordable way. It’€™s very important that in South Africa the majority of people do get it through a public health funded programme,’€ she said.

Meanwhile, Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) voiced concern over the high price of the vaccine. Spokesperson, Martha Molete, welcomed the registration of the vaccine, but said that there is a dire need to make it more accessible to all women.

‘€œWe, as CANSA, would like to see an affordable vaccine that is part of the national immunization programme so that all girls get vaccinated below the age of 10 because that is when it is most effective. And as it stands now, it is very expensive’€¦ But at least, this is a step in the right direction. We really advocate for the Department of Health to consider an affordable vaccine in future,’€ said Molete.

Gardasil can be used by all women from the age of nine years upwards. It cannot be used for curing cervical cancer as it is only made for prevention purposes.