Health insurance: Vaccination rate against HPV in Saxony far too low

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) can cause cancer - but recently only two thirds of girls up to the age of 17 in Saxony had been fully vaccinated against them. Among boys up to the age of 13, the proportion without appropriate protection is as high as 79 percent, according to the drug report by health insurer Barmer.

According to the health insurer, around one in four women up to the age of 30 is infected with HPV. "Although not every infection causes cancer, human papillomaviruses are ticking time bombs. An HPV vaccination at a young age can prevent cancer in old age and even prevent deaths," emphasized Monika Welfens, regional managing director of Barmer in Saxony.

Human papillomaviruses are transmitted through intimate contact. Most people become infected with them once in their lives. The infections are mostly asymptomatic. In some cases, however, they can cause cancer. The Standing Vaccination Commission has recommended the vaccination for girls since 2007 and for boys of the same age since 2018.

Since 2018, the Standing Vaccination Commission at the Robert Koch Institute has recommended the HPV vaccination for both sexes, as boys and men can also develop HPV-related cancers such as anal or throat cancer, albeit less frequently than women. In addition, boys and men are potential carriers of the virus and can protect not only themselves but also their partners with the vaccination.

The report also shows that vaccination activity decreased significantly between 2021 and 2022. In Saxony, the rate among girls and young women fell by 25 percent and among boys and young men by as much as 35 percent. Without a turnaround, the EU-wide target of a 90% vaccination rate for girls by 2030 cannot be achieved.

There are several reasons why too few people are vaccinated against HPV. Many are unaware of the risks of HPV infection and the possibility of protecting themselves against it with a vaccination. In addition, there is an unfounded fear of side effects, the lack of a precise vaccination date and therefore forgetting the vaccination date. In addition, confidence in vaccinations has generally declined since the coronavirus pandemic, said gynaecologist Cornelia Hösemann, who is a member of the Saxon vaccination commission.

Barmer believes it makes sense to introduce an additional preventive check-up for children aged nine to ten. "Instead of recommending a vaccination in the time corridor from 9 to 14 years, it would be better to specify a concrete point in time such as a specific U-examination. Then you don't put off the vaccination," explained Monika Welfens.