英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Quick action needed in dealing with side effects of cervical cancer vaccine
子宮頸がん　ワクチンの副作用対策を急げ

The most important task is to clarify any cause and effect relationship between the vaccinations and the side effects.
　ワクチン接種と副作用の因果関係を解明することが、何より重要だ。

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry recently delivered to an expert panel the results of a follow-up survey on patients who experienced negative side effects from a cervical cancer vaccine.
　子宮頸けいがんワクチンの副作用問題で、厚生労働省が、患者の追跡調査結果を有識者検討会に報告した。

The ministry’s report confirmed 186 people had not returned to full health and were still suffering from serious side effects. In response to this finding, the panel decided to put off resuming recommending that people receive the vaccination. This recommendation has been suspended since June 2013.
　１８６人が「未回復」の状態と判明し、深刻な副作用が残ることが確認された。これを受け、検討会は、２０１３年６月以降、控えてきたワクチン接種の勧奨について、再開の見送りを決めた。

The panel had no option on this matter, given that the cause of the side effects has yet to be pinpointed.
　原因が究明されていないことを考えれば、やむを得まい。

About 3.38 million women received the vaccination from December 2009, when the vaccine went on the market, to November 2014. The survey covered 2,584 of these women who reported suffering some sort of symptoms. The survey was able to confirm developments in the cases of 1,739 women.
　調査では、０９年１２月のワクチン発売から１４年１１月までに接種を受けた約３３８万人の女性のうち、何らかの症状が報告された２５８４人を追跡調査した。経過が確認できたのは１７３９人だった。

The proportion of people who reported side effects is not remarkably high compared with rates in other nations, where such vaccinations are being increasingly widely done.
　副作用報告の割合は、接種が拡大している海外に比べて、格段に高いわけではない。

However, a significant number of specialists have said that Japan is conspicuous for patients suffering from comparatively severe symptoms. The various ongoing symptoms include headaches, fatigue, aching joints and a decline in cognitive function. These are serious health issues.
　しかし、日本では、比較的症状の重い患者が目立つと指摘する専門家が相当数いる。頭痛や倦怠けんたい感、関節痛、認知機能の低下など、症状は様々で、深刻だ。

There were limits to how much data could be gleaned from this survey, which was based mostly on information these patients reported to doctors who treated them. There needs to be a detailed examination of the diagnoses and treatments given to these patients, as well as a comparative review of the health conditions of women in the same age brackets who did not receive the vaccinations, and other factors.
　主に医師の報告データに基づく今回の調査には限界がある。患者の詳細な診断、治療に加え、接種歴のない同世代女子の体調などとの比較検討も求められる。

Reducing distrust vital

The health ministry will establish consultation counters in every prefecture and strengthen support provided to the victims, including treatment. It also has kicked into gear a stalled review of relief provided to people who suffered health problems.
　厚労省は、相談窓口を全都道府県に設け、治療などの支援を強化する。滞っていた健康被害救済の審査も本格化させた。

It is impossible to reduce the risk accompanying a vaccination to zero. Advanced nations such as the United States and those in Europe have set up systems to quickly pay compensation when there are suspicions a vaccination has caused negative side effects. If the government takes a long time to provide relief, distrust would grow among patients and hamper steps to prevent infectious diseases from spreading.
　ワクチン接種のリスクは、ゼロにできない。欧米先進国は、副作用の疑いがあれば、速やかに補償する制度を設けている。救済に長期間を要するようでは、患者たちに不信が増大し、感染症対策に支障を来すためだ。

We think such relief measures should be swiftly put in place in Japan, too.
　日本も救済を急ぎたい。

The number of women in Japan with cervical cancer is increasing, with about 10,000 developing the disease each year. About 3,000 die from it annually.
　国内では子宮頸がん患者が増加し、年間約１万人が発症している。死亡者は約３０００人に上る。

The cervical cancer vaccine is said to prevent the virus that causes the cancer from being transmitted from men to women through sexual relations. In Australia, such a vaccine is administered to both males and females during routine immunizations.
　子宮頸がんワクチンは、性交渉により、男性から女性に原因ウイルスが感染するのを防ぐ効果が期待されている。豪州では、男女両方が定期接種の対象だ。

Although the vaccine is currently not promoted in Japan, the system in place includes it among routine vaccinations for women. People wishing to receive the vaccine can have it subsidized by the government, but clearly the current situation does not enable them to take the vaccine with peace of mind.
　国内でも現在、勧奨はしていないものの、女性を対象にした定期接種の制度が設けられている。希望者は公的な助成を得られるが、安心して接種を受けられる状況にないのは明らかだろう。

Having regular checkups is important for detecting cervical cancer at an early stage. However, this does not contribute to preventing the disease, so the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and other bodies have stressed the significance of the inoculations.
　子宮頸がんの早期発見には、定期検診を受診することが重要である。ただし、予防にはつながらず、日本産科婦人科学会などは接種の意義を訴えている。

Reducing distrust in the vaccine will be a major prerequisite for achieving this. The health ministry must move fast on this issue.
　そのためには、ワクチン不信の軽減が大前提だ。厚労省は対応を急がねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 24, 2015)