Vaccination Rate for HPV Among Girls Under 15 at Just 67%

Saxony-Anhalt struggles to boost HPV vaccination rates among adolescent girls

According to an analysis conducted by the Scientific Institute of the AOK (WIdO), the HPV vaccination rate among 15-year-old girls insured with AOK in Saxony-Anhalt stood at 65.7 percent in the third quarter of 2024. This represents a nearly 5 percent decline from 2023 and an almost 10 percent drop compared to 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite holding the top position nationwide, Saxony-Anhalt remains a long way from the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal of vaccinating at least 90 percent of 15-year-old girls against HPV by 2030.

"HPV vaccination provides protection against certain dangerous HPV viruses that are usually transmitted through sexual contact and can lead to cervical cancer," emphasized Corinna Beutel, head of the health and care programs department at AOK Saxony-Anhalt. Cervical cancer ranks as the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, with 4,388 new cases and over 1,400 deaths in Germany in 2022, according to the German Cancer Research Center.

The two-dose vaccination series affords particularly effective protection when administered before the first sexual encounter, making the vaccination rates among 15-year-olds particularly significant. While missing a follow-up vaccination is possible up until the age of 18 and is covered by statutory health insurers, the focus should be on ensuring that vaccination series are completed or brought up to date by the age of 18. To that end, AOK Saxony-Anhalt is currently working on an information campaign.

Beutel explained that the decrease in vaccination rates can be attributed to the fact that cohorts turning 15 during the pandemic have received significantly fewer vaccinations than those before the pandemic. She also highlighted that, while Saxony-Anhalt has made strides in vaccination for other diseases, HPV vaccination rates in Germany as a whole remain suboptimal.

Since 2018, there has been a recommendation for boys to be vaccinated, but the vaccination rate among boys aged 15 has actually decreased significantly during the pandemic and is only gradually recovering. According to the WIDO evaluation, there is a significant variation in vaccination rates between the federal states, with Saxony-Anhalt leading the way in HPV vaccination among girls. In Bremen, for instance, only 32.9 percent of 15-year-old girls were fully vaccinated against HPV in the third quarter of 2024, compared to Saxony-Anhalt's 65.7 percent.

Looking comparatively, Germany ranked 19th in 2023 with a full HPV vaccination rate of 15-year-old girls. Countries like Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden occupied the top spots, with vaccination rates ranging from 96 to 85 percent. "Both the differences in Europe and within Germany show that there's still much room for improvement in HPV vaccinations as a preventive measure," Beutel acknowledged.

Boosting HPV vaccination rates among adolescent boys is also essential as the vaccination provides protection against dangerous viruses that can lead to various medical-conditions, such as cervical cancer in women and other HPV-related cancers in men.
In light of the significant drop in HPV vaccination rates among 15-year-old girls, especially during the pandemic, it's crucial to emphasize the importance of health-and-wellness and mental-health, given that timely vaccination can save lives and reduce the burden of preventable health issues.
Considering that cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, enhancing vaccination rates for both girls and boys is a vital step towards addressing Women's Health and Men's Health issues, as the vaccination protects against a wide range of HPV-related cancers.
The Scientific Institute of the AOK (WIdO)'s evaluation revealed not only a substantial disparity in HPV vaccination rates between states in Germany, but also across countries in Europe. Such findings highlight the need for a comprehensive health strategy, ensuring equal access to health services and emphasizing the importance of preventive measures like HPV vaccination for the overall health and wellness of the population.