Nearly nine out of ten seventh-graders take HPV vaccine

Vaccinate.Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

Since last autumn, boys in the seventh grade have also been offered the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine. 87% of boys and 89% of girls have received the first dose of the vaccine.

This was shown in figures for the last six months from the National Vaccine Register, SYSVAK.

The HPV vaccine has been an offer for girls in the seventh grade in the childhood vaccination program since the 2009/2010 school year, but now also includes the boys of the same age.

The vaccination for adolescents under 15 years of age consists of two doses at six-month intervals. The vaccine protects against cervical cancer and cancer of the outer genitalia of women. The reason why boys were also included in the vaccination program was increased knowledge that HPV infection could also lead to other forms of cancer in both women and men.

‘’HPV causes over 100 cancers in men and almost 500 in women each year. Thanks to both boys and girls being able to protect themselves against HPV-related cancers, many of these cases are now prevented’’ said consultant, Margrethe Greve-Isdahl at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today