Publication date: 08/31/2022 at 3:42 PM
Today, Tuesday 30 August, the Health Council advised the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport to adjust the HPV vaccination schedule for 15-year-olds and older, in response to recent WHO SAGE recommendations. The State Secretary has accepted this advice and decided to introduce the new scheme as soon as possible. The Chamber was informed about this by letter on 30 August.
The decision means that girls and boys aged 15 years and older who start their HPV vaccination series from now on will be offered two instead of three vaccinations with an interval of preferably six months between the first and second vaccination.
Autumn round HPV 2022
The change to the HPV vaccination schedule will take effect January 1, 2023. Because the decision falls in the middle of the fall round for HPV, the change can be applied immediately to the 2006 and 2004 catch-up cohorts that were invited this spring. More than half of the boys and girls aged 15 and older vaccinated this spring have already had two vaccinations this spring. Because the interval was one month instead of a minimum of five, these young people still have to get a third vaccination this autumn for good, long-term protection.
Young people aged 15 and older who have only had one of the two vaccinations this spring will only need to receive one more vaccination this autumn, provided the interval is at least 5 months.
The invitation letters from RIVM for the autumn round have already been sent or will soon be on the mat. Here we speak of three vaccinations for young people aged 15 and older.
Questions from parents and young people
We can imagine that parents and young people have questions about the number of vaccinations. You will therefore find a number of questions and answers on the RIVM website.
Parents and young people who, following an invitation, have questions about the dates of their first two HPV vaccinations, are first referred to their vaccination certificate and then referred to the JGZ organization where they obtained their vaccinations.
RIVM is not allowed to provide information about vaccinations by telephone. Parents and young people who call RIVM can receive their vaccination data by post. The RIVM does not see this as a realistic possibility because it can take three to four weeks before a vaccination certificate is sent to them. The HPV vaccination round to which they have been invited will probably have already happened by then. With clear information, we want to prevent as much as possible that the JGZ is unnecessarily burdened with questions.
Adjustment guideline
RIVM is adjusting the guidelines for HPV vaccination. The amended guidelines will be published on rvp.nl as soon as possible.
Consequences for 2023
All young people from the cohorts that will be invited from the beginning of 2023 (2013, 2011, 2010, 2007 and 2005) will be offered two vaccinations six months apart, regardless of their age. The invitation letters will be adapted accordingly.
A two-dose schedule (with an interval of six months) is also used for young adults from the cohorts 2003 to 1996 who will be offered an invitation for an HPV vaccination in 2023 via the GGDs. The adjustment will be included in the preparation of this campaign.