Government to provide HPV vaccine

The Health Minister has announced she is reversing the decision not to roll out the cervical cancer vaccine for secondary school students.
Mary Harney says the Government is now in a position to provide the HPV vaccine for first year students after the cost of doing so was negotiated down from 16 million to just 3.
Minister Harney says she hopes to start the programme this June.
She says her decision was always down to the cost of the drug.
It was the decision not to proceed with the vaccination programme in December 2008 that led to Dr James Mc Daid to abstain in the Dail and lose the Fianna Fail party whip.
Whether he now seeks to rejoin the parliamentary party remains to be seen, although the fall out from recent tensions between himself and fellow Donegal North East Deputy Niall Blaney is likelty to have an impact on any decision.
So far, Dr Mc Daid has been unavailable for comment.