HPV immunization policies

Impact and health economic evidence for HPV immunization policy and program

OncoSim modelling on the impact of HPV and cervical cancer prevention interventions indicates that high coverage of HPV immunization (90%) coupled with HPV testing and appropriate and timely follow-up can prevent 6,810 cervical cancer cases by 2050, resulting in 1,750 lives saved.

• Offering HPV immunization programs, as well as offering them through school-based programs has been shown to be cost effective in high-income countries, including Canada.¹
• The effectiveness of the vaccine in females has been found to diminish as recipients age, as the vaccine is most effective when administered prior to the onset of sexual activity.
  • Administering vaccination to girls before age 14 has consistently been found to be the most cost-effective strategy.²
• While school-based programs remain the primary model for HPV vaccination delivery, one model found that the most cost-effective way to offer HPV vaccinations is through schools and primary care settings as compared to a school-only approach or through utilizing any law mandating immunization.³
• Ultimately, in combination with screening, HPV vaccination has been shown to be a cost-effective intervention in high-income countries, and HPV DNA testing has been identified as a cost-effective strategy across populations.⁴

• References
  1 - Drolet M, Bénard É, Boily M-C, et al. Population-level impact and herd effects following human papillomavirus vaccination programmes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2015; 15(5): 565-580.
  2 - Kim JJ, Ortendahl J, Goldie SJ. Cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccination and cervical cancer screening in women older than 30 years in the United States. Annals of Internal Medicine 2009; 151(8): 538-545.
  3 - Blakely T, Kvizhinadze G, Karvonen T, Pearson AL, Smith M, Wilson N. Cost-effectiveness and equity impacts of three HPV vaccination programmes for school-aged girls in New Zealand. Vaccine 2014; 32(22): 2645-2656.
  4 - Jit M, Choi YH, Edmunds WJ. Economic evaluation of human papillomavirus vaccination in the United Kingdom. The BMJ 2008; 337: a769.