New Zealand

HPV vaccination high among Maori and Island women

06:10 am on 30 September 2010

Young Maori and Pacific Island women are leading the way in the uptake of the HPV vaccination which guards against a virus which causes cervical cancer and genital warts.

Pacific Island Affairs minister Georgina te Heuheu says 70% of Pacific girls aged 14 to 18 and 57% of Maori girls have now received the free Gardasil shots, compared with a national average of 52%.

She describes this as most encouraging and told Waatea News that it will have positive long term effects on public health.