HPV vaccination catch up program - utilisation by young Australian women

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Vaccinology
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• The quadrivalent human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18.
• The Australian Government offered free HPV vaccination to women aged 18-26 through general practitioners (GPs) until June 30, 2009.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess awareness and uptake of the free HPV vaccination program among women aged 26 or younger attending Family Planning New South Wales (FPNSW) clinics.
• To identify barriers to vaccination program participation.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was administered to women aged 15-26 attending FPNSW clinics in May-June 2008.
• The survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, and utilization of the free catch-up HPV vaccination program.

Main Results:

• 57.4% of surveyed women (n=294) had heard about the HPV vaccine, and 56% had received at least one dose.
• 42.5% of respondents were unaware that the HPV vaccine was available for free through GPs.
• 72.4% of women had visited a GP in the preceding six months.

Conclusions:

• GPs should proactively inform eligible young women about the HPV vaccination program during opportunistic visits.
• Encouraging participation is vital to maximize coverage and reduce cervical cancer incidence.
• The limited time frame for the free vaccination offer necessitates urgent GP action.