Hamilton lake clinic is running a school based immunization program at Hamilton boys high school for immunization against HPV virus.
Between 2008 and 2016, HPV immunization was free for girls and young women up to their 20th birthday, including non-residents under the age of 16 and living in New Zealand for eight months or more. From 1 January 2017, HPV immunization is free for everyone, male and female, aged 9 to 26, including non-residents under the age of 18.
Children who are in year 8 at school are offered the vaccine either through a school-based immunization programme or through their family doctor if a school program is not available.
There is no school based program for high school students yet so Hamilton lake clinic is taking the initiative to do this. HPV 9 vaccine would be used for immunization. For kids who miss onto vaccination for any reason can be given option to get vaccination done at clinic without any cost. Ministry of health is supporting the clinic for this initiative.
The first dose of HPV vaccine must be administered before a person turns 27 years of age to receive a funded course of vaccine.
Those aged under 15 years need two doses with at least a 6-month gap between them.
For those aged 15 years or over, the standard schedule is 3 doses at 0, 2 and 6 months.
HPV immunization aims to protect young people from HPV infection and the risk of developing cervical cancer and a range of other HPV diseases later in life. Currently, around 150 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 50 women die from it each year in New Zealand.
