The annual International HPV Awareness Day on March 4th highlights the importance of vaccination against human papillomaviruses (HPV) with the aim of raising the public's awareness of HPV-related cancer prevention. In Germany, about 6,250 women and about 1,600 men develop HPV-related cancer every year. Vaccination rates in Germany are still low.
Human papillomaviruses represent a large group of viruses that not only can cause diseases such as genital warts, but can also lead to precancers and cancer. The first vaccine against HPV was approved in Europe in 2006. The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, the Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, is responsible for testing the quality, safety, and efficacy of vaccines in Germany.
HPV vaccination is an important protective measure against HPV-related cancers. The Standing Committee on Vaccination (Ständige Impfkommission, STIKO) has recommended vaccination for girls since March 2007 and for boys since June 2018. The vaccinations (usually two vaccinations) should be administered between the ages of 9 and 14 years. Catch-up vaccinations are possible before the patient turns 18. Despite the clear vaccination recommendation, HPV vaccination rates in Germany for girls and boys are low: 54% and 27%, respectively (15-year-olds, as of 2021). This highlights the need to increase vaccination rates to ensure effective protection against HPV-related cancers.
International HPV Awareness Day is one measure aimed at raising awareness of the importance of vaccination in boys and girls for protection against later cancers.
The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut supports this initiative and highlights the fact that, when it comes to the highly effective and safe HPV vaccination, early vaccination plays an especially important role in protection against infection with high-risk HPV types that can cause cancer.
Updated: 01.03.2024
