Flevoland research on HPV vaccination

GGD Flevoland is investigating the readiness of vaccination against HPV vaccines in girls and boys born in 2012. This fall, GGD Flevoland is looking at what parents want to know about HPV vaccines for their children. These vaccines are also known as “cervical cancer injections.” Over 2,500 Flevoland parents with a son or daughter born in 2012 were invited to participate in this voluntary survey.

In the Netherlands, all girls between the ages of 12 and 13 are invited to be vaccinated against HPV. This is done through the National Immunization Program. HPV means human papillomavirus. This injection prevents cervical cancer in girls, as well as vaginal cancer, oral cancer and throat cancer. Boys can also get sick from HPV. They can get oral cancer, throat cancer, penile cancer, and anal cancer. HPV vaccinations largely prevent this. From 2022, boys and girls will receive a call for HPV vaccination. The age is also deteriorating.

Children are then invited the year they turn 10.

Christel Blegenburg, a pediatrician at GGD Flevoland and researcher explains: “This examination is done once. We do it via a digital questionnaire, and parents have received a mail invitation. The questionnaire contains questions about how parents think about vaccination.

We hope to learn more about the questions parents have about HPV vaccines. It is very important for us that parents get involved, even if they have doubts about HPV vaccination. With survey results, we can improve our information for parents. It is about providing parents with the right information and making better decisions about HPV vaccines for their children.”

More information about HPV: https://rijksvaccinatieprogramma.nl/vaccinaties/hpv