Soon 47,500 young adult men and women – aged 19 to 27 – in South Limburg will receive the invitation for vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV). About half of the women in this age group have already been vaccinated at a younger age. Research shows that young people are not or hardly familiar with the virus. One in five say the chance of an HPV infection is likely, while four in five actually become infected. HPV can cause cancer in the mouth and throat, penis, anus, vagina, labia, and cervix. The vaccination protects against these six types of cancer and was offered to boys for the first time in 2022 in addition to girls. More than 50% of the boys have had their first vaccination against HPV.
Hardly familiar with HPV
Young adults are not or hardly familiar with HPV and the high risk of infection with the virus. This summer, RIVM worked with them to investigate what information is needed and through which channels it can best be disseminated. The outcome: a neutral and light-hearted message in places where young adults already come. An HPV knowledge quiz is central to the information campaign via various social media, so that young adults can make an informed choice about the HPV vaccination.
Schedule an appointment yourself
Young adults born between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2003 and who want to protect themselves against HPV can schedule an appointment with the GGD Zuid Limburg from week 2 via www.hpvafspraak.nl. This special website is part of the campaign developed by RIVM and GGD GHOR Nederland. For good and long-term protection, two vaccinations are required, half a year apart. The HPV vaccination is part of the National Immunization Program coordinated by RIVM. The vaccination is free for both teenagers and young adults up to and including 26 years of age.
The one-off expansion of HPV vaccination in 2022 and 2023 follows advice from the Health Council and is in line with the objective of the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO wants to achieve a vaccination rate of 90% among girls to eradicate cervical cancer – in the Netherlands, full participation among girls has slowly increased to almost 70%. Of the boys between the ages of 9 and 18, half of whom received an invitation for the first time at the beginning of last year, more than 50% have so far passed their first vaccination against HPV.
Protection against high-risk types
HPV is a highly contagious and common virus, infecting eight out of ten people. The body usually clears the virus itself, but sometimes it remains in the cells for longer and can develop (a precursor to) cancer years later. There are more than 100 types of HPV, including several variants with a high risk of cancer. HPV types 16 and 18 are the most dangerous, together they cause about 70% of all cases of cervical cancer and the majority of other HPV cancers. The vaccine offered in the National Immunization Program protects against these two types. Vaccination also contributes to the protection of the entire population through herd immunity because the virus is less likely to spread. Every year in the Netherlands, an estimated 1,500 people get cancer due to HPV, about 1,100 women and about 400 men.