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It protects against types of cancer that can be caused by HPV, such as cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer, anal and throat cancer and penile cancer. Cancer Aid describes the expansion of free vaccination as a “milestone”.
The HPV vaccination was included in the free children’s vaccination program in 2014, and the age limit is now being extended. “In Austria we have one of the best HPV vaccination programs in the world, where children and young people – girls and boys – and also conscripts can now receive free HPV vaccination up to the age of 21,” said Cancer Aid President Paul Sevelda. In order to achieve the targeted vaccination coverage of 90 percent, several measures are necessary: Cancer Aid demands access to the electronic vaccination card for all doctors, complete documentation of the HPV vaccination in the electronic vaccination card, intensive information for the population and the recording of the HPV Vaccination in the national vaccination program planned from autumn 2023.
“Around 80 to 90 percent of all people are infected with HPV in the course of their lives,” says Steffen Krause, board member of the Upper Austrian Cancer Aid and urology primary at the Kepler University Hospital in Linz. Even if this usually goes unnoticed, certain high-risk virus types could be involved in the development of cancer. “A timely HPV vaccination in childhood and adolescence offers almost 100 percent protection against cancer,” says Lukas Häfler, also a board member of the Upper Austrian Cancer Aid and gynecology primary in the religious hospital of the Merciful Sisters in Linz.
Webinar: Experts from Upper Austria Cancer Aid will explain in a webinar on Tuesday at 5 p.m. why HPV vaccination is so important. Registration until 12 p.m. at servive@krebshilfe-ooe.at or Tel. 0732/777756
Source: Nachrichten
