Advies van de Gezondheidsraad om vaccinatie tegen Humaan papillomavirus op te nemen in het Rijksvaccinatieprogramma om baarmoederhalskanker te voorkomen

- The Health Council of the Netherlands has advised the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport to include vaccination against Human papillomavirus (HPV) for girls aged 12 years as part of the National Immunisation Programme. A catch-up vaccination is proposed for girls aged 13-16 years. High-risk HPV infections cause cervical cancer. Approximately 70 of these infections are attributed to HPV-16 and HPV-18. Vaccination was shown to prevent these infections and subsequent precursor lesions. Its efficacy in preventing cervical cancer has not yet been proven but is highly plausible. Protection lasts for more than 10 years. A booster may be needed after 10 years. The efficacy and safety of the two available vaccines are comparable. State-mandated vaccination is effective and ensures equal treatment regardless of economic status. Maintenance of the population screening programme for cervical cancer is important, and this must be communicated to the public properly. Careful monitoring is necessary for surveillance of effects, side effects, response rates and participation rates in cervical cancer screening. Guidelines are needed to aid physicians in determining whether to provide individual vaccination.

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2008;152:981-3