About 80 percent of girls and 70 percent of boys starting upper comprehensive school have been vaccinated for HPV
Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes several different kinds of cancers and the best way to protect against infection is the HPV vaccine. The HPV vaccination coverage for girls born in 2009 who have started seventh grade of comprehensive school is 79 percent while coverage for boys the same age is about 71 percent. The information behind the figures is from the Finnish National Vaccination Register.
In Finland girls have been getting HPV vaccinations for free since autumn 2013 as part of the national vaccination programme. This was extended to boys in autumn 2020 which at least partly explains the differences in vaccine coverage for boys and girls.
The HPV vaccine series comprises two doses. These are usually offered in the fifth and sixth grades, but it is also possible to get the vaccines at grades 7-9 as well. The coronavirus situation may have affected the implementation of the vaccinations. For this reason, the HPV vaccination series can be started through the end of the spring term of 2023 also for those underage young people who had not been vaccinated while in comprehensive school.
“Although COVID-19 led to the extension of the vaccination time, the reasons why there are gaps in a young person's HPV coverage is not relevant. The vaccination series can also be started if it did not begin earlier for some other reason”, says Medical Specialist Anniina Virkku.
Regional differences in HPV vaccine coverage
There are differences among different regions in HPV vaccine coverage. For example, in the Northern Savo Hospital District 88 percent of girls born in 2009 – the age group that started upper comprehensive school in the autumn – have received at least one HPV vaccination. In Central Ostrobothnia the corresponding vaccine coverage is 70 percent.
Corresponding differences also exist in vaccination rates for boys. In Eastern Savo, Southwest Finland, and Åland Hospital District more than 80 percent of boys born in 2009 had been vaccinated for HPV, while in Päijät-Häme, and in North and South Ostrobothnia, coverage is 63 percent.
“The coronavirus pandemic led to school nurses getting assigned to different tasks in many municipalities, leading to the postponement and even cancellation of medical examinations. Remote learning has also made it more difficult to carry out vaccinations in schools. It is important for families and young people to ensure that vaccinations are taken”, Virkku says.
High vaccination rates in many municipalities
In several municipalities HPV vaccinations have proceeded well and local vaccine coverage exceeds the national averages. Of the larger cities, girls’ vaccine coverage in Kuopio is the highest, at 89 percent. In Turku, Vantaa, Jyväskylä, Helsinki, and Tampere, girls’ vaccine coverage is more than 80 percent. In Turku, vaccine coverage for boys is also high – about 82 percent. Of the large municipalities, Kuopio, Vantaa, and Helsinki also had vaccination coverage of more than 71 percent for boys.
Many small and medium-sized municipalities also have vaccination coverages that greatly exceeds the national levels.
Vaccine coverage for those born in 2009 will rise further, because HPV vaccinations are administered in upper comprehensive school as well.
Vaccine effectively prevents many different cancers
Papillomaviruses (HPV) cause several different types of cancer, such as those of the oral cavity: in the oropharynx and especially the base of the tongue and the tonsils. They also cause cancers of the anus, penis, cervix, vagina, and vulva. Furthermore, they are behind some of the cancers of the laryngopharynx, larynx, nasopharynx, and other areas of the oropharynx.
Papillomaviruses are spread via skin, and sexual contact. About 80 percent of people get an infection during their lifetime that exposes them to a serious illness.
Research has shown that the protection afforded by the vaccine series against papillomavirus infections is long-lasting. The vaccine prevents about 90 percent of cancers of the cervix. The vaccinations can also prevent other cancers caused by a papillomavirus.
THL monitors the coverage of HPV vaccinations with the help of the Finnish National Vaccination Register. Because of shortcomings linked with vaccination records and transfer of data, actual vaccination coverage rates can be higher than those in the National Vaccination Register. In municipalities with low birth rates, even a small number of unvaccinated children, or a few missing vaccination records can significantly reduce coverage. THL works together with municipalities and software suppliers to make sure that the vaccination coverage figures are as accurate as possible.
Further information:
Map showing HPV vaccination coverage (THL)
HPV vaccination coverage (THL, in Finnish)
What is HPV? (THL, in Finnish)
Anniina Virkku
Medical Specialist
THL
[email protected]
Ulpu Elonsalo
Chief Physician
THL
[email protected]
