AUSTRALIA’S cervical cancer vaccine program might be changed, following the release of new global recommendations by the World Health Organisation.
WHO said on Wednesday that two jabs of the HPV vaccine is just as effective as three.
Currently, Australian school girls and boys receive three doses of the vaccine, which prevents infection with the Human papillomavirus, the virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. However, Cancer Council Queensland spokeswoman Katie Clift says until Australian health authorities adopt the two-dose schedule, young people should continue to receive the full three-dose course of the HPV vaccine. “It’s imperative that all eligible young people receive the current full course – taking preventive action against HPV is vital and could save a young person’s life in years to come,” she says.