Facts and figures:
The study published in the Medical Journal of Australia has found Aboriginal students in NSW are achieving their first dose of the HPV vaccine at equal or higher rates than non-Aboriginal students.
Coverage is higher among Aboriginal females than non-Aboriginal females in NSW, with a rate of 95.9% and 89.9%, respectively. The rate for males is 85.6% and 86.0%.
HPV vaccination is a safe and effective method to prevent infection and disease due to the targeted HPV types that cause cervical cancer (almost all cases) and cancers of the anus (90%), vagina (65%), oropharyngeal area (60%), vulva (50%) and penis (35%).
Ask the expert:
Dr Vicky Sheppeard NSW Health’s Director of Communicable Diseases
“The HPV vaccination is particularly important for Aboriginal women to prevent cervical cancer as, compared to other Australian women, they have twice the incidence and four times a greater mortality rate from cervical cancer.”
The details:
Protecting children from potentially deadly diseases is a key priority for the NSW Government, which has invested approximately $130 million in the 2018-19 Immunisation Program budget, including Commonwealth and state vaccines.
To find out more go to www.health.nsw.gov.au/aboriginal/Pages/default.aspx
