Guidelines
National HPV vaccination program
Starting in April 2007, the Australian Government will provide the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine GARDASIL® free to all women and girls aged between 12 and 26 through the National HPV Vaccination Program.
Advertisements for the program targeting parents and the general public will begin to appear in the media from 11 March. More detailed information about the vaccination program will be available for general practitioners in the coming weeks. Information resources will include:
- Pages for general practitioners on the National HPV Vaccination Program Website: www.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/Handbook-hpv and www.cervicalcancervaccine.org.au/health-professionals/gps-and-other-health-professionals.aspx
- A ‘cheat sheet’ summarising patient eligibility, vaccine dosage and contraindications, distributed via the Divisions of General Practice and available online
- A direct mailout to general practitioners across Australia in mid-March
- Advertising in medical journals in mid-April
From April, the vaccine will be administered to girls aged 12-18 through school-based programs.
From 1 July 2007, the free vaccine will also be available from general practitioners and community immunisation clinics to young women who are not in school and are still aged under 27. The vaccine will be available for this group for two years, until 30 June 2009.
The vaccine is given in a series of three injections, spread out over a six-month period.
In addition to administering the vaccine, general practitioners are also asked to remind patients about the continued importance of regular pap smears, and to encourage women receiving the vaccine to include their details on the National HPV Register. Further information about the register will be forthcoming once it is launched.
For more information, contact the Immunise Australia National Infoline on 1800 671 811.
For more information, please read HPV vaccination - a paradigm shift in public health
in the March 2007 edition of Australian Family Physician