Born between 1996 and 2003 and have not had an HPV vaccination? In 2023 you will get a second chance

Good news for all girls who used to choose not to take an HPV vaccination.. if you were born between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2003, you will receive an invitation this January to take these vaccinations, completely free of charge.

It’s not mandatory, of course, but if you’re fed up with the fact that you didn’t do it then? This is your second chance.

You’ve probably heard of it, but what is HPV?

Just a short explanation, because we understand that you probably don’t immediately know what we’re talking about. But it’s verrrry important, so pay attention. HPV is a virus, in full it is called ‘the human papillomavirus’. You usually don’t notice it, but it is very contagious and that’s exactly what it is. If you have HPV, you can infect someone else without knowing it. There are different types of HPV infections. The two most dangerous are types 16 and 18, because they most often lead to cancer, according to the National Vaccination Program. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world and is the causative agent of cervical cancer. In addition, HPV is implicated as a causative agent in some cancers of the anus, penis, pharynx, vagina and vulva.

That is why the vaccination was developed a few years ago to protect young boys and girls against this virus. When I was about 13 years old (in 2009) the first girls were invited for these shots. Because it was still new at the time and it was not clear what exactly it would do to you, I decided not to do it. A sensitive subject with vaccinations, but that was what was going on at the time. Nevertheless, the vaccine appears to be very effective.- In a recently published study by Donken et al. a vaccine effectiveness of 98% against persistent HPV16/18 infections is found, six years after the introduction of the vaccine. That sounds hopeful and reason enough to get vaccinated. You don’t want to be faced with unpleasant surprises later on.

Good news

Too late to get vaccinated? Well, if you were born between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2003, you still get the chance this year. You will soon receive an invitation to make your first appointment, even in January if all goes well. There must be at least 5 months between your first and second shot, but you can have this done free of charge throughout 2023. Were you born in 1995 or even earlier? Then you can also get vaccinated, but then you have to pay for it yourself.

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