17-06-2025
Teens urged to get HPV vaccine
Isabella Higgins: The proportion of Australian teenagers who've had the vaccine that prevents cervical cancer is the lowest it's been in almost 10 years. Experts are urging teens to get a catch-up vaccine if they've missed the human papillomavirus or HPV shot. And one woman is taking the campaign personally. National Health Equity reporter, Caitlin Gribbin.
Caitlyn Gribbin: Early mornings are a sacred time at the Walters property.
Christine Walters: Mia, do you want to let these just open up?
Caitlyn Gribbin: Christine and her 12-year-old daughter Mia have eight horses to feed near Crow's Nest, two hours west of Brisbane.
Christine Walters: Peace, that's the one word they bring. It's a nice bonding time for Mia and I.
Caitlyn Gribbin: Today's a good day. Christine Walters is up doing what she loves, something she was told may not be possible.
Christine Walters: I was diagnosed with cervical cancer back in 2014. Then given a terminal diagnosis and given 12 months, I said no.
Caitlyn Gribbin: Christine doesn't know how long she has left and believes if a vaccine had been around when she was young, she wouldn't now be fighting this battle.
Christine Walters: I don't think a lot of people see one little needle can protect you for something so significant as a cancer.
Caitlyn Gribbin: But the uptake of that one little needle is dropping. The human papillomavirus vaccine is given in schools and is the frontline defence in shielding the body from HPV infection, the virus that causes cervical cancer. HPV is the most common viral sexually transmitted infection. It can also cause other genital, anal and oral cancers and genital warts. But experts reveal vaccine coverage for HPV by 15 years of age is at its worst rate in almost a decade.
Dr Frank Beard : The trends are heading in the wrong direction. We're not on track to meet our goals at this rate.
Caitlyn Gribbin: Dr Frank Beard is the Associate Director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance. He says to achieve cervical cancer elimination targets, Australia needs to extend HPV vaccination coverage to at least 90% in all adolescents aged 15 years by 2030.
Dr Frank Beard : We're now back to where we were around a decade ago. We're now down to around 81% for teenage girls and around 78% for teenage boys.
Caitlyn Gribbin: Only 70% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teens have had the jab by 15 years of age. Experts believe the decline in vaccination rates is because school attendance has dropped since the pandemic and young people from Indigenous communities or with parents who have poor literacy or English skills aren't aware of it. Then there's vaccine hesitancy. The Cancer Council's Associate Professor Megan Smith is urging teenagers and parents to catch up on the free vaccine with a GP or pharmacist.
Megan Smith: We don't want elimination to be something for some people. We want it to be a reality for everyone.
Caitlyn Gribbin: Getting teens back on track to reach that goal is now Christine Walter's priority. As a parent and high school teacher, she has a powerful message for students avoiding the jab.
Dr Frank Beard : You are so lucky to have this available to you. Without it, you could end up like me.
Caitlyn Gribbin: The low uptake of the HPV vaccine is on the agenda of the Federal Government's recent National Immunisation Strategy.
Isabella Higgins: Caitlin Gribbin reporting.
