“I want the one for older women” — extending the human papillomavirus vaccine population base

Cervical cancer prevention relies on two different age-specific technologies, and consumers should not be misled about the role of HPV vaccines

The introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to clinical practice is the end result of a remarkable distillation of basic science, new technology, epidemiological understanding, clinical research and commercial development. It has brought together stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds to consider these developments, and Australia is now the first country to implement a population-based mass vaccination program against HPV. The Australian HPV vaccination program was commenced after cost-effectiveness of the quadrivalent vaccine was demonstrated,1 anticipating that the expected reduction in the cost of treating HPV-related disease in Australian women would compensate for the cost of the vaccine. This program, an Australian Government initiative,2 appears to have been very successful in terms of coverage, and offers young Australian women the opportunity to be among the first national cohort to be vaccinated against the virus types that cause most cervical cancers and a variety of other HPV-related diseases.