Quebec has caught up in youth HPV vaccination, rates above 75 per cent

Kids drawings hang on a wall as a boy is vaccinated, in a vaccination center, in Nantes, western France, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021. France has vaccinated 77% of its population and is rushing out booster shots. But more than 4 million adults remain unvaccinated. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzales)

While COVID-19 occupied the forefront of Quebec's vaccination efforts, other campaigns were put on hold. But in the case of HPV, Quebec has already caught back up, with innoculation rates above 75 per cent for a large portion of school-aged youth. 

As International Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Awareness Day approaches on March 4, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) has confirmed to The Canadian Press that the catch-up operation is over.

In 2020, Quebec began administering one dose of the HPV vaccine to Grade 4 elementary students and a second dose to Secondary 3 students.

However, with the arrival of the pandemic in March 2020, vaccination was immediately paused.

Then, a catch-up operation was launched to vaccinate young people who missed their appointment with the HPV immunization, of which there are more than 200 different types.

According to data provided by the MSSS, vaccination coverage for the 2021-2022 school year is estimated at 80 per cent for Grade 4 elementary and Secondary 3 students.

However, it is the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 cohorts that have been the subject of a catch-up operation. This appears to have been very successful, with coverage rates as high as 75.5 per cent (2020-2021) and 76 per cent (2019-2020) for Secondary 3 students.

The data is even better for Grade 4 students with vaccination rates of 85.9 per cent (2019-2020) and 84.2 per cent (2020-2021).

The current vaccination schedule calls for elementary school youth to receive one dose of Gardasil 9 vaccine first. Then, 60 months later, they receive a dose of Cervarix vaccine.

These vaccines are given to both girls and boys. According to information available on the National Institute of Public Health portal, most HPV types "have no visible signs," while others can cause genital warts, among other things.

"The most deadly types of HPV can cause a variety of cancers, including cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, penile, vulvar and vaginal cancers," it warns.

It is also possible to have HPV without showing any visible signs, but eventually develop a cancer related to the virus.

These viruses are transmitted during sexual relations. Vaccination is the best way to protect against HPV, in addition to using a condom.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 3, 2023. 

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