Gardasil Injections

HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, mostly affecting women 20 to 24 years of age. Almost all abnormal Pap smear results are caused by HPV. In 98 per cent of cases, HPV clears by itself. In rare cases, if the virus persists and if left undetected, it can lead to cervical cancer. This usually takes about 10 years. 

Early detection is the best protection from cervical cancer. Australia has one of the best national cervical screening programs in the world. 

Australia currently has the second-lowest incidence of cervical cancer and the lowest mortality rate from cervical cancer in the world.

There are many strains of HPV, only some of which can cause cancer. HPV strains 16 and 18 cause around 70 per cent of all cervical cancers. There is one vaccine (GARDASIL) which has been approved for use in Australia. This vaccine prevents infection from HPV strains 16 and 18 if individuals are vaccinated before they are infected with them.
GARDASIL is administered as a series of three injections over a period of seven months. To ensure that some girls do not miss out, an immunisation program needs to run over a whole school year.

The Government has agreed that GARDASIL should be funded under the National Immunisation Program, commencing in the 2007 school year, for three cohorts:

• An ongoing target group of 12 and 13 year old girls in a school-based program, generally delivered in the first year of high school
• A catch-up group of 13-18 year old girls in a largely school-based program
• A further catch-up group of women up to and including 26 years of age in a community-based program generally delivered through the general pravtice.

For more information on HPV, see http://www.cancerscreening.gov.au