Nearly half of schools in Poland are participating in the HPV vaccination program. Will this be enough to achieve the goal?

Contents

Over 5,200 schools – approximately 40% of all institutions – have already joined the nationwide HPV vaccination program. Despite growing parental interest, experts emphasize that without expanding the program and combating disinformation, the goal set in the National Oncology Strategy will not be achieved.

The inaugural meeting of the Parliamentary Group for Combating HPV and Related Diseases was held in the Sejm. This is the first parliamentary group in Europe to focus entirely on HPV – a virus that causes many cancers, including cervical, anal, and throat cancers.

During the meeting , the key role of schools in the implementation of vaccinations was emphasized, further intensification of educational activities was announced, and the issues of extending the program to older age groups and the possible mandatory HPV vaccination were raised.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, over 5,200 schools have already joined the HPV vaccination program, representing approximately 40% of all educational institutions in Poland. The ministry believes this is a significant improvement for parents.

"Introducing vaccinations to schools has removed the burden of organizing vaccinations from parents, which is a significant improvement," says Joanna Kujawa , Head of the Environmental Health Department at the Ministry of Health. "Parental interest is enormous. We want vaccination coverage to reach 70-80%, as in other countries."

The best results were achieved among girls born in 2011, with a 34% vaccination rate. While this is a promising start, the cancer strategy target of 60% of adolescents vaccinated by 2028 is still a long way off.

One of the key demands of social organizations and experts is to expand the HPV vaccination program to the 14-18 age group . This is being demanded by, among others , the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System (AOTMiT) , as well as the female MPs involved in the group's work.

"The lack of inclusion of older age groups creates inequalities in access to cancer prevention," says Prof. Adam Antczak , chairman of the National Program for Combating Infectious Diseases. "It's not just about numbers. The most important thing is ensuring real protection for children and young people against cancer."

The Ministry of Health announced that an analysis of the possibility of expanding the program will be discussed during the next meeting of the Ministry's Vaccination Task Force. Information on progress will be provided by the Press Office of the National Infectious Disease Control Program.

Questions were also raised in the Sejm about the possible introduction of mandatory HPV vaccinations . MPs Alicja Łepkowska-Gołaś and Jolanta Niezgodzka inquired about the status of legislative work on this matter.

The Ministry of Health is not ruling out such a scenario – legal analyses are underway to determine whether a change in regulations would make HPV vaccination mandatory. If the draft amendments are submitted for consultation, HPV vaccination is expected to be included in the proposal.

Given the planned increase in vaccination rates, ensuring program continuity and guaranteed vaccine supply is crucial. This topic was raised by Aleksandra Sienkiewicz from the Healthcare Forum of the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers.

The Ministry of Health has not yet presented official information on securing supplies for next year, but declares that it is coordinating activities with the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Finance on this matter.

Experts emphasize that one of the biggest challenges of the HPV vaccination program is widespread misinformation and stereotypes about the virus.

"HPV is associated exclusively with cervical cancer, but it causes many other cancers, including in boys," says Deputy Minister of Education Paulina Piechna-Więckiewicz . "We want to work with WHO to conduct educational activities aimed at young people and their parents. We need to explain why vaccination is worthwhile and how important collective responsibility for public health is."

The Ministry of Education, together with the Ministry of Health, is planning an information campaign in schools – both in the form of meetings and educational materials.