Students are urged to get a simple injection which will protect them against the virus that causes cervical cancer A new vaccine aimed at young women aged between 9 and 26 years old helps prevent cervical cancer, one of the most common female cancers with an average of 450 new cases diagnosed each year. New international research that confirms the so-called 4-in1 vaccine protects against four variants of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) was presented in Chicago recently at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. More than 100 different variations of HPV have been identified, with several of them cited as a contributory factor in women developing cervical cancer. Dr Keith Wing Kit-lo, Honorary Clinical Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the vaccine is most suitable for teenage girls who have not yet had sexual intercourse. 'Cervical cancer is the only cancer which can be prevented by a vaccine. In Australia, this vaccine is already in the school vaccination program and all the girls have to be injected.' Dr. Lo expects that the US and UK will also add it to their school vaccination programmes next year and he hopes that Hong Kong will follow and will promote the benefits of the vaccine. 'HPV infection most commonly takes place during sexual intercourse. At the moment, the vaccine is most effective in teenage girls who haven't already been infected by HPV.' After learning about the vaccine, Mrs Cara Chiu, who works in a medical centre, encouraged her 18-year-old daughter Anna to get vaccinated. 'Doctors told me that the vaccine was very effective. It does not work like traditional vaccines, which inject a weaker version of a virus into the body. The new technique is much safer.' Her daughter agreed without much hesitation. 'Although I was a bit afraid of the pain of the injection, the vaccine can protect me. I couldn't think of a reason to reject it, so I went ahead. Prevention is always better than cure,' says Anna, who has recommended the vaccine to her classmates and friends and received positive feedback.