Sweden recommends universal HPV vaccination

The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) has recommended universal free vaccination against human papillomavirus of girls in school years five and six (aged 10-12 years) through the school health service. According to the administrative procedure in Sweden, this recommendation is now open for referral with final confirmation expected in April 2008 and implementation at county level from autumn 2008.

In May 2007, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Board in Sweden had included Sanofi Pasteur's Gardasil in the national Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for girls aged 13-17 years, marking the first time that the Board granted a vaccine reimbursement status. This enables catch up vaccination of girls aged 13-17 years in addition to the now recommended free routine vaccination girls aged 12 at school.

13 western European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK) have already recommended routine HPV vaccination for pre-adolescents girls, often coupled with catch-up programs for adolescent girls and young women. Similar recommendations were made in the USA, Canada and Australia. In 11 of these countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK), reimbursement or funding is already in place or has been announced for 2008.