Belgium recommends HPV vacc program

Belgium has joined Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Norway and Luxemburg in deciding to recommend the vaccination of girls against human papillomavirus to prevent cervical cancer and other HPV diseases.

The High Counsel of Health in Belgium recommends universal HPV vaccination for one cohort of young girls between 10 and 13 years of age, while a catch-up program for the remaining cohorts of girls up to the age of 15 could further increase the benefit for the population and will be considered after an ongoing health-economic evaluation.

Belgian physicians can now suggest HPV vaccination to females aged 14 to 26 years who have not been vaccinated before and have not yet had sexual contact. The vaccination of girls and women aged 14 to 26 years who have not been vaccinated before but who have already had sexual contacts should be evaluated by the physician on a case by case basis. The Belgian healthy authority also recommends the urgent organization of systematic screening for the early detection of cervical cancer and reminds that women must continue screening whether they are vaccinated or not.