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Free HPV vaccination for 21-30 year olds ending soon in Austria
🇦🇹 Austria /Health & Science

Free HPV vaccination for 21-30 year olds ending soon in Austria

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Several organizations, the Green Party, and a medical professional are urging the Austrian government to extend the free HPV vaccination program for individuals aged 21 to 30.
  • The catch-up vaccination campaign for this age group ends on June 30, 2026, after which they will have to pay several hundred euros for the recommended protection.
  • The HPV vaccine protects against various cancers and genital warts, and extending the program is seen as crucial to reaching the WHO's 90% vaccination rate target.

Calls are mounting in Austria to extend the free HPV vaccination program beyond its current deadline for individuals aged 21 to 30. The catch-up campaign, which offers free initial vaccinations to this age group until the end of 2025, allows for the second dose to be administered free of charge only until June 30, 2026.

The HPV vaccination is the only vaccination that demonstrably protects against various types of cancer. Precisely because of this, it is incomprehensible that savings are being made precisely on one of the most effective measures for cancer prevention.

— Lejla Visnjic and Ahmed NaiefCo-chairs of the Federal Youth Representation (BJV) explaining the importance of the HPV vaccine.

Organizations including the Federal Youth Representation (BJV), the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH), and the association "HPV-Impfung jetzt!" have joined the Green Party in appealing to the government to make the vaccination permanently free for those up to age 30. They argue that individuals who have started the vaccination series but cannot complete it by the deadline will face significant costs for the remaining doses.

Preventative healthcare should not be dependent on income.

— ÖH-VorsitzteamThe Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH) commenting on the accessibility of healthcare.

The HPV vaccine is highly effective in preventing pre-cancerous conditions and six types of HPV-associated cancers, including cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, and throat cancers, as well as genital warts. Health advocates emphasize that preventative healthcare should not be dependent on income. The Green Party's health spokesperson specifically urged the Health Minister to re-establish and secure the program long-term, aiming to achieve the World Health Organization's goal of a 90% vaccination rate in this age demographic.

The free HPV vaccination for everyone up to 30 must be offered until we achieve the WHO goal of a 90 percent vaccination rate in this age group as well.

— Ralph SchallmeinerThe Green Party's health spokesperson appealing to the government.

While the vaccination is recommended from age nine and is most effective between ages nine and eleven, before the first sexual contact, the catch-up program has significantly increased vaccination rates among 21- to 30-year-olds from under 10% to 30%. Experts note that earlier vaccination leads to a stronger immune response and better protection against initial infections.

The earlier, the better, and if we vaccinate young, we have a stronger immune response and also prevent the first infections.

— Elmar JouraA gynecologist and HPV expert from the Medical University of Vienna discussing the optimal timing for vaccination.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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