Of the more than 1.3 million young adults who are allowed to make an appointment for an HPV vaccination, more than 160,000 have already done so. The RIVM sees that there is more confidence and less fake news about the shot against cervical cancer, among other things, and calls the result so far “quite good”. But the more than a million other invitees should not wait too long to get the shot.
Since the beginning of this year, about 1.3 million 18 to 27-year-olds have received invitations for the shot. The majority (900,000) are male. The young women also had the chance to get a shot years ago and many of them have already done so.
“We have only just been vaccinating for four weeks,” says Jeanne-Marie Hament, program manager of the National Immunization Program at RIVM. About 12 percent of the group made the appointment. And a large part of them have already been pricked. “I think this is pretty nice in itself. We still have a whole year to go.”
She emphasizes that this is a somewhat more difficult group to reach: young adults often have busy lives and are busy with other things than HPV cancer. “I think there’s a challenge there as well.” For the time being, RIVM is trying to reach young people via social media and other places they like to be, watch or read. “We don’t feel like we have to put more pressure behind it now.”
Wat is HPV?
- HPV staat voor humaan papillomavirus.
- Het virus kan in zeldzame gevallen kanker veroorzaken. Ieder jaar krijgen duizend vrouwen baarmoederhalskanker of kanker aan de vagina, de schaamlippen of in de mond- of keelholte. Bij mannen gaat het om ongeveer vierhonderd personen die penis-, anus- , mond- of keelholtekanker krijgen.
- HPV is zeer besmettelijk en seksueel overdraagbaar. De meeste mensen krijgen het, maar merken daar niets van. Meestal verdwijnt het virus na twee jaar weer uit het lichaam.
- Kinderen krijgen op hun tiende de vaccinatie gratis aangeboden. Dit jaar kunnen ook 18- tot 27-jarigen de prik gratis halen. Dit voorjaar ontvangt een groep tieners onder de 18 opnieuw een uitnodiging.
- Uit onderzoek blijkt dat de prik voor ongeveer 95 procent beschermt tegen de twee meest voorkomende hpv-typen.
A large proportion of minors have already received the shot
Vaccination against HPV cancer started in 2009. In the following years, the turnout lagged behind, for example because incorrect stories about infertility were circulated.
“Confidence in the HPV vaccine is increasing,” says Hament. “Now we see that 75 percent of sixteen-year-old girls have been vaccinated. In that respect, you see that it just needs more time and that it is important that you continue to provide good information over the years.” Hament also thinks that fake news about, for example, that infertility “has become a lot less”.
In addition, there is more knowledge about the shot. “The first studies show that the vaccine is a very successful protection against cancers. So there is not only more confidence, but also more and more evidence that it protects well.”
This is also the case for people who have already been sexually active. But it is not yet clear how long the shot will protect exactly. Fifteen years after the injection was started, there are still many antibodies in the blood. In any case, it seems that the vaccination protects for a longer period of time.
Pick up on Saturday without an appointment
Young adults up to the age of 27 can get the HPV jab for free this year. After that, they have to pay for it themselves. That costs about 350 to 400 euros. Children are offered the vaccination free of charge when they turn ten.
“You have to draw the line somewhere. We do that on the basis of scientific research,” says Hament about this age limit. The fact that it will no longer be possible for young adults to get the shot after this year has to do with the fact that younger children can already get such a shot. “You want to offer it again and then vaccinate the younger groups.” At the moment, according to Hament, no thought is being given to expanding these standard pricking groups.
Next Saturday, on HPV Awareness Day, young adults can go for an HPV shot without an appointment at 45 GGD locations. “It’s smart to get your first shot before the summer,” says Hament. There must be five months between the first and second shot. It is still possible to get that second dose until December.
