The National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Program
This program commenced in April 2007
Resources
Pap Screen Resources
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention - Links
HPV Register - Collecting Information - 16 April 2008
Eligibility
School age females between ages 12 to 18 years will be offered free HPV vaccines in either 2007 or 2008. From July 2007 until June 2009, free HPV vaccine will be available through general practice and other immunisation providers for:
- females aged 12 to 18 years who missed doses at school
- females aged 12 to 26 years
It is important to note that the three doses need to be completed before June 2009 and before the female reaches the age of 27. This is because the Therapeutic Goods Administration has not approved HPV for women older than 26 and younger than 9 years of age. Although Gardasil® is approved for use in males aged 9 to 15 years, there is insufficient data on its clinical efficiency and is not funded under the national vaccination program.
Gardasil Reminder - September 2009
To ensure female patients aged 18-26 years do not miss out on vaccine which ceases on 31 December 2009:
- discuss HPV vaccine with eligible patients.
- phone/recall eligible patients who are overdue for 2nd or third dose.
- ensure supply of vaccine is adequate.
- contact vaccine supplier for further resources if necessary.
Refer to the full information sheet located in the resources section on this page.
Dosage and Administration
Gardasil® is administered intramuscularly, usually in the upper arm as a series of 3 injections over a period of 6 months.
- first dose: at elected date
- second dose: 2 months after the first dose
- third dose: 6 months after the first dose
The vaccine has shown to be effective if all three doses are given within 12 months. If a shorter vaccination schedule is necessary, the second dose should be administered at least one month after the first dose and the third dose should be administered at least three months after the second dose.
Download factsheet on Human Papillomavirus Vaccine.
Administration with other vaccines
Gardasil® can be administered in conjunction with the National Immunisation Program - Comvax vaccine. No data is available for use in conjunction with (dTpa) diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis or varicella vaccine but there is no reason to anticipate any adverse outcomes if they are given in different injection sites.
Contraindications and Precautions
Gardasil® should not be given to any persons who have a history of severe immediate hypersensitivity to yeast or any of the vaccine components (i.e. aluminium phosphate, sodium chloride, L-histidire, polysorbate and sodium borate) or who have had a sever allergic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine. The vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women. If the vaccine is inadvertently administered during pregnancy, advice should be given to defer completion of the course until after birth. The vaccine can be administered to lactating women. The vaccine should be delayed in a person who has a moderate to severe febrile illness until they have fully recovered from the illness.
Adverse Events
Few serious adverse events were reported during clinical trials. Mild to moderate pain, reddening or swelling at the injection site were reported by 83% of vaccine recipients with 73% of those who received the placebo. There was no difference in the population of vaccine and placebo recipient (60%) who reported systemic symptoms, the most common being headache, fever and nausea.
Storage and Handling
The vaccine should be refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius and administered soon after removal from refrigeration. Shake well before administration.
Booster Doses
Research to date has demonstrated protective immunity for at least five years. Booster doses are being trialled currently, however no data is available.
(Information adapted from Department of Health and Ageing resource)
Resources
Gardasil reminder Government funded National HPV Vaccination Program
Press information at September 2009
NCIRS HPV frequently asked questions
Click here to download NCIRS's version of the HPV frequently asked questions fact sheet and a new fact sheet, "Vaccine components." The new vaccine components fact sheet provides information about vaccine components including why they are present, and what, if any, risks these components may pose to vaccine recipients.
Division HPV Practice Kits
The Division has put together practice kits with excellent HPV resources. The kit includes:
- Information brochures for parents “Protecting your daughter from cervical cancer”
- Immunisation Provider Guidelines on National Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Program
- Summary fact sheet for general practices
- Clinic Action Plan for HPV program
- Presentation slides on screening and vaccination process
- Information about ordering the vaccine and also an order form
- Patient letter of offer (template)
- Detailed fact sheets and links to further resources.
If you would like to receive this practice kit then please contact Angela Ouroumis at the Division on 8480 4606.
Management Summary Table
This information sheet produced by the National Cervical Screening Program provides a summary of the management of asymptomatic women with screen detected abnormalities.
Immunise Australia Program website
Alternatively, phone the National Immunisation Hotline on 1800 671 811 (interpreters are available on request).
Recording of HPV vaccine
National HPV Vaccination Program Register - link to information about the HPV database on the AGPN website.
All practices that are able to collect and record their information electronically are urged to do so. However for those that are not able to use this method there is also a paper based collection sheet.
Genie print out of Genie
Zedmed print out of Zedmed
Medical Director print out of Medical Director
Paper-based collection sheet
Gardasil® Promotional Materials for Practices
Produced by CSL Biotherapies
Multilingual HPV Resources
Detailed information on the vaccination program translated into:
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Pap Screen Resources
Papscreen Victoria
Department of Health and Ageing Cervical Screening information:
Multilingual Pap smear resources - Cancer Council Victoria
This link to the Cancer Council Victoria website has fact sheets on Pap smears in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Vietnamese and Italian.
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention - Links
Click here to download an article on Oprah.com about HPV Vaccine.
Should women in their 20s and 30s get the HPV vaccine? - Ask Dr. Christiane Northrup
This research from the CDC provides a counter to Dr Northrup: http://www.cdc.gov/stdconference/2008/media/release-11march2008.htm
(and from the ABC) http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/12/2187183.htm)
Basically 1 in 4 teenage American girls have a STD and recommendations about routine chlamydia screening and HPV vaccination as a way of reducing disease burden.
HPV Register - Collecting Information - 16 April 2008
Victorian Cytology Services has been contracted to develop the HPV register. As this register is not yet operational, all practices will be asked to collect and hold the information until it can be forwarded on. You can collect data by:
- Using your medical software - AGPN's step by step instructions for collecting HPV information using Medical Director, Genie, Zedmed, Best Practice and Communicare software and examples of what the printout of data looks like. These also include instructions to help retrieve the information in a report format which can then be sent to the register later in the year.
- If you do not have desktop software we still encourage you to collect the data. Click here for AGPN's templates that can be used to collect the data with the fields that will be needed to populate the proposed register.
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