HPVnorvaks

National follow-up of the HPV vaccination program

In 2009 the Ministry of Health and Care Services gave the Cancer Registry of Norway (KRG) and Akershus University Hospital Trust (Ahus) the responsibility of supervising the effect of HPV vaccine on incidence of cervical cancer and pre clinical stages of this cancer type. The HPV vaccine is part of the Norwegian childhood vaccination program.

Translation: Barbara.Mortensen@kreftregisteret.no

The vaccine against cervical cancer is offered to 7th class girls from the year 2009/2010. This HPV-vaccine protects against two HPV types, HPV 6 and 11 and two possibly carcinogenic HPV types, HPV 16 and 18. These two latter virus types cause about 70% of the cervical cancer cases.

When the HPV vaccine was introduced into the Norwegian childhood vaccination program in 2009, the Ministry of Health and Care Services decided to establish a surveillance system for monitoring the effect of HPV vaccine in Norway. The Cancer Registry and HPV reference laboratory at Akershus University Hospital Trust were given the responsibility to follow-up the effects and side effects of the vaccine through the HPVnorvacs program. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) is the coordinating body.

The program will be running over many years and is fully financed by the Ministry of Health and Care Services. HPVnorvaks includes a follow up and reporting of vaccine coverage and suspected side effects. In addition, the program will cover a number of research projects that will study the effect of the vaccine.

The Cancer Registry of Norway’s assignment is, according to the collaboration agreement, the following:

“Different groups will be followed to enable surveillance of the incidence and development of pre clinical stages of cervical cancer and cervical cancer. The primary groups to be followed are girls born in 1997 and later who are offered vaccine – both those vaccinated or not. Incidence in the primary group is compared with incidence before and after introduction of the HPV vaccine in 2009. Stratification is done according to age and vaccine history. Surveillance of the precursors of cervical cancer and cancer of the cervix should continue until one has secure data regarding the effect of the vaccine, or its possible failure.”

The collaboration group in HPVnorvaks, composed of representatives from FHI, KRG and Ahus, are now working to develop the contents of the follow-up program. HPVnorvaks administrative board will make the final decisions. The Cancer Registry is represented in both groups.