Time is running out for young women who want to get the free HPV vaccine

Cervarix HPV vaccine.Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

Over the last two years nearly 120,000 young women have received the free HPV vaccine which decreases the risk of cervical cancer. Soon the offer will expire.

 

Figures from the National Vaccination Register (SYSVAK) show that 53 percent of women who have had access to the two-year vaccination program have made use of it so far.

The program ensures that women born in the period 1991-1996 receive the vaccine that protects against the HPV virus, which may lead to cervical cancer. Since 2009, this vaccine has been given to all girls in seventh grade, but those who attended school before this have not received it.

Minister of Senior and Public Health, Åse Michaelsen (Frp) is pleased.

– “The HPV vaccine saves lives. Therefore, the government started the vaccine program in 2016 where young women born in 1991 or later have been offered a free HPV vaccine. Almost 120,000 women have so far taken advantage of the offer. This is awesome,” she says.

Three doses
The State Council recommends that everyone in the target group begin the vaccination by the end of December. That is the last chance to take the first dose before the system changes.

Dose two and three must be taken by 1 July 2019.

– “You must take all three doses to get the best possible protection. We have received inquiries from women if they need to be vaccinated again if there has been longer time between doses. They do not need to start over, It’s O.K. it its taken longer than planned,” says project manager Anita Daae for the vaccination program for young women.

– Formidable effort
In addition to figures for the whole country, the National Institute of Public Health also presents figures for the proportion of vaccinated women in different counties, municipalities and districts on Wednesday

“The municipal health service has made a formidable effort and has administered over 300,000 doses of HPV vaccines since the vaccination offer was launched two years ago. The highest proportion of vaccinated women, are in Trøndelag, closely followed by Sogn og Fjordane and Hordaland, victory Daae.

The lowest proportion of vaccinees can be found in Østfold, Buskerud and Akershus.

The vaccine reduces the risk of developing severe cervical cell formation by 90 percent in women who were not infected with HPV at the time of vaccination.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today