Cervical cancer awareness campaign launched
pharmafile | May 22, 2008 | News story | Medical Communications |Â Â Â
PR agency Consolidated has been hired to help publicise the forthcoming NHS cervical cancer immunisation programme.
The Department of Health has appointed the agency to raise awareness among 12-13 year old girls and their parents, particularly mothers, of HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccination ahead of the programme's launch in September.
To raise awareness in advance, the PR campaign begins this months and runs until April 2009.
Board director Liz Fay will lead the agency team working on the account and she said the vaccination programme is of huge significance in fighting cancer.
"It's not without its complexities and challenges, so our job is keep the communications consistent, clear and open," she said.
"Working closely with the other marketing disciplines, the role for PR is to keep the momentum going to ensure that girls and their mums feel informed and compelled to opt in."
Not everyone convinced
Despite the strong evidence to support widespread immunisation, there is certain to be resistance from some parents, who can withdraw their children from vaccination.
A pilot vaccination programme was carried out in Manchester last year, and a study of uptake and attitudes was published in the BMJ in April.
Researchers found uptake was 70% for the first dose and 68.5% for the second dose overall, but uptake was significantly lower in schools with a higher proportion of ethnic minority girls or higher proportion of girls entitled to free school meals.
In many of these cases parents refused treatment for their child, and the main reason for refusal was insufficient information about the vaccine and its long term safety.
Despite these concerns, and others relating to fears about encouraging sexual promiscuity (HPV is transmitted sexually), the pilot was judged to be a success.
Multi-media campaign
Consolidated's PR efforts will form part of an integrated media campaign that will encompass activities across TV, radio, press and digital media, and includes a website and helpline for parents.
A spokesperson at the Department of Health said: "Being able to protect girls against cervical cancer is a tremendous opportunity. This vaccine will save lives, and we want as many girls as possible in the target age group to benefit from this vaccine.
"This PR campaign will work alongside the rest of the national publicity activity and we expect it to have a positive effect on uptake of the vaccine."
It will be up to each PCT to decide exactly how the immunisation programme will be run in their area, but the Department of Health expects schools to provide the most cost effective route for administration.
Consolidated's secondary audience for its campaign includes school nurses and teachers.
The agency was appointed following a three-way pitch against Forster and Band & Brown.
Consolidated will now work in partnership with the Department of Health to develop and deliver its activities, ensuring that it fully integrates with other elements of the campaign.
Who will win the contract?
Despite having decided to launch the programme, the DH has still not decided which of two rival vaccines will be used.
GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix and Sanofi Pasteur MSD's Gardasil are currently tendering bids to win the contract, and the government is expected to announce its decision shortly.
Consolidated has been tasked with explaining the programme's benefits and clarifying how and when it will be administered.
