Free HPV vaccination: Last chance for young adults in Austria!

Free HPV vaccination: Last chance for young adults in Austria!

Österreich - The HPV vaccination that protects against several types of cancer is free for the age group of 21 to 30 year olds in Austria until June 2025. The Medical Association (ÖäK) announced on Tuesday and emphasized that the first vaccination must take place until the first half of the year in order to obtain the necessary second dose free of charge. This vaccination effectively protects against cervical cancer, genital tumors as well as cancer in the throat area and from genital warts. Rudolf Schmitzberger, head of the ÖäK vaccination department, explained that the HPV vaccination in Austria does not receive the attention that it deserves. In countries such as Australia, where vaccination has been propagated for a long time, the frequency of cervical carcinomas has dropped by impressive 87 percent. These positive effects can also be seen in the current figures from Germany, which have reported a decline in diseases since 2010, as described in detail on OE24.at.

Important information on HPV vaccination

Why is vaccination so important? According to the cancer information service, the nine-fold vaccine not only reduces the risk of skin and mucosal changes that can lead to cancer, but also the risk of cancer precursors in need of treatment in women at the cervix, vulva and vagina. In men, vaccination also protects against potential cancer in the head and throat area. Studies show that the increase in the HPV vaccination rate has significantly led to reducing the necessary operations to remove cell changes to the cervix, since vaccination protection continues for many years. Even if the complete effect of vaccination on the cancer rate is not yet finally assessed, the first data are promising: In an examination of women who were vaccinated between 2002 and 2008, no cases of cervical cancer occurred.

The Federal Youth Representation and other initiatives demand that the free HPV vaccination are retained in the national vaccination program. Many politicians, including representatives of the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, have agreed that all recommended vaccinations should be offered permanently free of charge, but depending on scientific prioritization. In view of the growing number of vaccinations that have been administered in recent months, the alarm bells ring: despite the vaccination, effective early detection remains essential to ensure health and to exploit all options for cancer.