By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Good news to women in Korea: there will be another vaccine to block cervical cancer on the market this week.
GlaxoSmithKline is releasing its human papillomavirus (HPV) antigen Cervarix in Korea after it was approved by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. It will be the second vaccine of its kind released in Korea, where cervical cancer is the second most diagnosed gynecological cancer annually.
Cervarix has proven to be effective in blocking HPV type 16 and 18 for more than 6.4 years after three shots. Unlike its rival Gardasil, Cervarix is said to be effective on women over 26 years old, bringing light to women who had already suffered from HPV infection or are worrying about the possibility.
The vaccine is authorized for women between 10-45 years of age in Australia. Seventy-two countries including Britain, which decided to provide the vaccination to school girls between 12-13, have approved its sales.
Its exact comparison to the function of Gardasil has yet to be made, but Samsung Medical Center doctor Kim Byoung-gie suggests youngsters could take Gardasil, which gives immunity to four types of HPV, and Cervarix for mature women who need to focus on blocking HPV type 16 and 18, which are claimed to be the most powerful causes of cervical cancer.