HPV vaccine soon for free

Criticizing restrictions on HPV vaccinations

01/19/2014

Austria will soon be introducing HPV vaccines into the school vaccination program. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known as a possible cause of cervical cancer. Even before the start is criticized that will not be vaccinated on a broader basis.

600 euros for three-part vaccination
As one of the last European countries, Austria will soon, after years of discussions, include HPV vaccinations in the school vaccination program. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known as a possible cause of cervical cancer. In Austria, around 200 women die every year from this type of cancer. A three-part vaccine cost just under 600 euros, too much for most people, so „ORF“. From 1 February, the HPV vaccine will now be free for 9 to 11-year-olds. For the 12- to 14-year-olds, a separate offer is planned.

Men can transmit virus during sex
This makes Austria the first European country to vaccinate not only girls but also boys for HPV, because otherwise it would only be done in Australia and Canada. Since men can transmit the virus during sex, boys are also included in the program. The free vaccination is long overdue finds the Halle Children and Youth Physician Ernst Wenger, Impferferent of the Medical Association and explained opposite „ORF“: „There are annually 60,000 suspected cases of women in cancer smears in the context of the health examination nationwide. This virus is the cause of about 6,000 surgical procedures, 400 women then actually get the final stage of this infection. And 200 die every year in Austria.“

Vaccination prevents 70 percent of the diseases
Wenger says vaccination can prevent 70 percent of the disease. However, the doctor criticized that only vaccinated at schools and health departments free. „It would be important for these vaccines to be available to all doctors of trust - paediatricians, family doctors and gynecologists. But there is currently no money in the country“, so the expert. However, there are also vaccine opponents who refer to the case of a 19-year-old Austrian, who died a few weeks ago after an HPV vaccine. Wenger emphasized, however, that the vaccine could not be proven to be a cause of death.

Cause not just for cervical cancer
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a potential cause of cervical cancer, but it also increases the risk of many other cancers, such as tongue cancer, penile or throat cancer. The immunization against HPV is done in girls first and foremost to protect them from cervical cancer. However, the viruses can also trigger many other cancers, as well as the relatively common genital warts of genital warts, which protect the girls with the vaccine. For some time now, Harald zur Hausen from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2008 for his discovery of the relationship between HPV and cervix cancer, called for an extension of HPV vaccines to boys. (Ad)

Picture: Gerd Altmann