HPV immunization policies

Background on HPV and HPV-related cancers in Canada

21-27%
lower treatment costs if vaccinated before 17 years old

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is related to 5% of all cancers worldwide.1 Cervical cancer is almost exclusively caused by HPV. HPV can also cause six different types of cancer, including anal, genital, and certain head and neck cancers.1 It is related to 80-90% of anal cancers, 40-50% of penile cancers, and 40% of vaginal cancers.1,2 HPV infection is also responsible for 90% of genital warts.

While there are over 100 types of HPV, some strains have a higher risk of causing cells to become abnormal and precancerous.2

HPV immunization is safe and effective and works best when given prior to exposure to HPV. Studies have shown that it is associated with a decreased risk of invasive cervical cancer at the population level.1,3

Population-level impacts of HPV immunization

  • HPV immunization before 17 years old:
    • 21-27% reduction in treatment costs for cancers associated with HPV3
    • 90% reduction in invasive cervical cancer risk3
  • HPV immunization before 30 years old:
    • 50% reduction in cervical cancer risk3
  • 5-8 years following HPV immunization:
    • 54-83% decrease in HPV prevalence4
    • 31-67% decrease in anogenital wart diagnosis4
  • Gender neutral HPV immunization could result in
    • 92-98% reduction in anal cancer risk5,6
    • 80-90% decrease in certain head and neck cancers7,8

Through a combination of publicly funded organized cervical screening programs and more recently introduced HPV immunization programs, Canada has made progress reducing the incidence of cervical cancer (~7.8 cases per 100,000 in 2024); however, more action is needed to achieve elimination (<4 cases per 100,000).

Action Plan to eliminate cervical cancer

In 2024, an estimated 1,600 people in Canada were diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 400 people died from it.9 Individuals are often diagnosed at a younger age than for other cancers such as colorectal and lung cancer.10 Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable and, if detected and treated early, highly curable.

The Action Plan for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Canada, 2020-2030 (Action Plan) sets Canada’s priorities, targets, and actions to eliminate cervical cancer. Canada’s goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 can be achieved through a combination of improving HPV immunization rates, implementing HPV primary screening, and improving follow-up of screening results.

Related content

  1. Government of Canada. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines: Canadian Immunization Guide 2024. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-immunization-guide-part-4-active-vaccines/page-9-human-papillomavirus-vaccine.html.
  2. Canadian Cancer Society. Human papillomavirus 2025. Available from: https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/reduce-your-risk/get-vaccinated/human-papillomavirus-hpv.
  3. Lei J, Ploner A, Elfstrom KM, Wang J, Roth A, Fang F, et al. HPV Vaccination and the Risk of Invasive Cervical Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(14):1340-8. Epub 2020/10/01. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1917338. PubMed PMID: 32997908.
  4. Drolet M, Benard E, Perez N, Brisson M, Group HPVVIS. Population-level impact and herd effects following the introduction of human papillomavirus vaccination programmes: updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2019;394(10197):497-509. Epub 2019/07/01. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30298-3. PubMed PMID: 31255301; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC7316527.
  5. Baandrup L, Maltesen T, Dehlendorff C, Kjaer SK. Human papillomavirus vaccination and anal high-grade precancerous lesions and cancer-a real-world effectiveness study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024;116(2):283-7. Epub 2023/09/18. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djad189. PubMed PMID: 37718496.
  6. Lin C, Franceschi S, Clifford GM. Human papillomavirus types from infection to cancer in the anus, according to sex and HIV status: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2018;18(2):198-206. Epub 2017/11/22. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(17)30653-9. PubMed PMID: 29158102; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC5805865.
  7. Garolla A, Graziani A, Grande G, Ortolani C, Ferlin A. HPV-related diseases in male patients: an underestimated conundrum. J Endocrinol Invest. 2024;47(2):261-74. Epub 2023/09/29. doi: 10.1007/s40618-023-02192-3. PubMed PMID: 37770654; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC10859347.
  8. Nasman A, Du J, Dalianis T. A global epidemic increase of an HPV-induced tonsil and tongue base cancer – potential benefit from a pan-gender use of HPV vaccine. J Intern Med. 2020;287(2):134-52. Epub 2019/11/17. doi: 10.1111/joim.13010. PubMed PMID: 31733108.
  9. Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee CCS, Statistics Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada. Canadian Cancer Statistics: A 2024 special report on the economic impact of cancer in Canada Toronto, ON2024. https://cdn.cancer.ca/-/media/files/cancer-information/resources/publications/canadian-cancer-statistics-a-2024-special-report-on-the-economic-impact-of-cancer-in-canada/0835-2976-2024-special-report-en.pdf
  10. Statistics Canada. Table 1: Average age at cancer diagnosis by selected cancer type and stage, Canada (excluding Quebec for all cancers and New Brunswick for cervical cancer), 2017 2020. Available from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/200309/t001b-eng.htm.
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