Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2017
Immunisation against the highly contagious human papillomavirus (HPV) can prevent cervical and other cancers, and other HPV-related diseases. The National HPV Vaccination Program has been immunising adolescent girls since 2007 and was extended to boys in 2013.
This third Healthy Communities report on HPV immunisation shows the percentage of girls aged 15 across 31 Primary Health Network (PHN) areas who were fully immunised against HPV in 2014–15. For the first time, the percentage of boys fully immunised are also shown by PHN area.
The report finds that in 2014–15:
- Nationally, nearly 79% of girls aged 15 were fully immunised against HPV, an increase from 74% in 2013–14 and 72% in 2012–13
- There remains relatively large variation in HPV immunisation rates for girls across PHN areas, ranging from 86% of girls fully immunised in Murrumbidgee (NSW) to 67% in Tasmania
- Nationally, 67% of boys aged 15 were fully immunised against HPV and across PHN areas percentages ranged from 78% in Gippsland (Vic) to 57% in the Northern Territory.
Download Healthy Communities: HPV immunisation rates in 2014–15 (PDF, 3.5 MB)