Quebec offering free HPV vaccine to adults for limited time

Adults between the ages of 21 and 45 can be vaccinated free of charge against human papillomavirus (HPV) for a limited time.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services made the announcement on Wednesday morning, targeting a population that has never been vaccinated against the virus that can eventually cause cancer.

The measure is also designed to avoid wasting Cervarix vaccines that will expire in the coming months and years.

The government currently has 150,000 of these doses on hand. The vaccine usually has to be administered in two doses, but the government points out that a single dose “already provides very good protection against future infections.”

The free service will continue until stocks are exhausted.

Interested patients can now book an appointment on the Clic Santé platform.

Young people aged 9 to 20 already have free access to the vaccines, which are administered in schools and elsewhere.

HPV is mostly transmitted sexually, and an infected person may not experience symptoms for several years.

The immune system generally gets rid of the virus over time, but certain types of HPV can eventually cause cancer, including cervical cancer. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 16, 2024.