Observed in March, International HPV Awareness Day shines a spotlight on the human papillomavirus (HPV) and the cancers it can cause, while also emphasising that many of these cancers are preventable.
In France alone, more than 7,000 cancer cases each year are linked to HPV infections.[1] Although cervical cancer is the most widely recognised HPV-related disease, with over 90% of cases attributable to the virus, HPV also plays a role in several other cancers affecting both women and men.[2]
A key message of International HPV Awareness Day is that vaccination offers powerful protection. Current vaccines can prevent up to 90% of HPV infections responsible for cancer.[3] By immunising adolescents before exposure to the virus, the risk of developing HPV-related cancers later in life can be dramatically reduced. Health authorities recommend HPV vaccination for both girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 14, when the immune response is strongest.[4] More recently, health authorities in France and Switzerland have recommended the vaccine as a catch-up vaccination for men and women through age 26.[5]
Widespread vaccination, combined with appropriate screening programs, has the potential to make cervical cancer a rare disease and possibly eliminate it as a public health threat in the coming decades. International HPV Awareness Day serves as a reminder that with knowledge, prevention, and collective action, many HPV-related cancers can be avoided.
The HPV vaccine, on prescription, is one of the preventative treatments that is reimbursed at 100% by the CHIS (CHIS Rules Article II 1.03). If you have any questions about the vaccine, please contact our third-party administrator UNIQA directly.
[2] La vaccination HPV désormais recommandée en rattrapage jusqu’à 26 ans révolus - Institut Curie
[3] La vaccination HPV désormais recommandée en rattrapage jusqu’à 26 ans révolus - Institut Curie