Facts and figures.
Who is eligible?
- Girls and young women born on or after 1 January 1990 can receive the free HPV vaccine from their family doctor, practice nurse after they turn 12 years old.
Why vaccinate?
- Every year in New Zealand about 160 women will be dianosed with cervical cancer and 60 will die from it.
- More than 99% of all cervical is linked to infection with HPV
- Vaccinating girls and young women now against the main viruses that may cause cervical cancer will reduce their chances of getting cervical cancer later in life.
- In the long term more than 30 lives may be saved every year.
How safe is the vaccine?
- The vaccine has been shown to be safe during large clinical trails involving more than 20,000 girls and young women. The trials found that GARDASIL caused no serious side effects. More than 26 million doses of the vaccine have been given worldwide.
How many injections are required?
- The vaccine is given as three injections in the upper arm over a six month period.
How long will the appointment take?
- About 15 to 20 minutes so that we can discuss the vaccine with you.
How long do I have to wait in the surgery after I get my injection?
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You will be asked to wait for 20 minutes after the vaccination so that if you have a reaction to the vaccination we can treat it.
What sort of reaction might happen?
- The following reactions may be expected after vaccination - pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, a general feeling of unwellness, mild fever.
Can boys get immunised?
- This government funded immunisation programme is not available to boys. This may be reconsidered later.
If you have more questions or concerns you can click here and ask in confidence.
