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New Gardasil vaccine faces several obstacles |
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Thursday, 08 February 2007 |
by AUBREY RESECH
News Reporter
The advertising campaigns for the Gardasil vaccine would indicate that the treatment is experiencing genuine success.
However, throughout the past few months, obstacles have arisen in regards to Gardasil.
 Active Image | David Mulvaney | Chief Photographer
Geneva Hennessee, a nurse with the OB/GYN practice of Dr. John J. Freeman, prepares a vaccine Wednesday morning. Hennessee voiced her concern over the high prices of Gardasil, a vaccine to help prevent the human papillomavirus (HPV).
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Gardasil,
a vaccine that became available in 2006 for women ages 9 to 26, helps
prevent the contraction of several forms of the human papillomavirus
(HPV), which can lead to cervical cancer and genital warts.
The vaccine’s push is a response to the fact that three out of four
Americans between the ages of 15 and 49 have been infected with HPV at
some point in their lifetime, according to the Centers of Disease
Control.
At Appalachian, 33 women have either started the three-part shot series
of Gardasil or are on their second shot, Sarah E. Summers, a nurse
practitioner for Mary S. Shook Student Health Services, said.
The vaccines cost $125 each – a total of $375 for all three. Summers said cost complaints from her patients have been minimal.
“I would like to see all of our female students who fall under the
guidelines for administration receive the vaccine,” Summers said. “The
vaccine provides up to 100 percent coverage against some strains of HPV
that are the highest risk for causing cervical cancer.”
However, cost for the vaccine is still a major hurdle for both medical
practices and the general public. Many patients are frustrated that
there is a great HPV prevention option that is cost-prohibitive.
According to CNN, some patients are charged a $25 co-pay in addition to
the vaccine cost, which in some instances can be $450 for the
three-shot series.
“My family has a significant history of cancer cases, and so I
definitely plan to receive the Gardasil vaccine,” Alexandra R.
Kothmayer, a freshman nursing major, said. “With regards to any form of
cancer prevention, cost is of no object for my parents because they
want to make sure my chances are lessened. However, it would be ideal
for the vaccines to be less expensive.”
High costs make it more difficult for medical offices to purchase and offer the vaccine to patients.
For some medical practices, the situation is dire enough that they
refuse to stock and pay the $360 cost for the vaccine because their
insurance policies offer little or no reimbursement, according to CNN.
One Boone OB/GYN practice, the office of Dr. John J. Freeman,
experienced the challenges of Gardasil’s high costs. Geneva Hennessee
is a nurse in Freeman’s office.
“We are very concerned, because each of the vaccines costs us about
$130 and we need to make at least that much in return just to cover our
own purchase costs,” Hennessee said. “We look forward to the cost
decreasing over the next year so that we can provide more patients with
the Gardasil vaccine in a more cost-effective manor.”
The Gardasil manufacturer, Merck & Co., Inc., does offer the
vaccine as part of its patient assistance program, which allows
individuals meeting specific criteria to fill out an application and
obtain free coverage.
Merck strongly advises all women seeking the vaccine to confirm with
their health insurance companies as to what the actual cost of the
vaccine will be and how they are covered.
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