Wyndham Council is encouraging young women to ensure they have received their second and third dose of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine course before they reach the end of Year 8.
Since 2007 the HPV vaccine has been provided to Victorian girls in the first year of secondary school as part of the National Immunisation Program. The combined three doses, given within a six-month period, protect against four types of HPV which cause around 70 per cent of cervical cancers and 90 per cent of genital warts.Participants have until the end of Year 8 to complete the course for free and any dose taken after that time will need to be purchased at a cost of approximately $150 each.
Mayor John Menegazzo said having all three injections was the best step girls can take to reduce their chances of developing HPV-related illnesses later in life.
“According to the National HPV Vaccination Program Register, although 83 per cent of girls aged 12-13 have the first injection, only 73 per cent of them go on to have the second and third dose, meaning they are not fully protected,” Cr Menegazzo said.
For more information visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au.
