site.btaFree HPV Vaccine Extended to Girls Aged 15 to 18

From this year, free vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is also available to girls aged 15 to under 18, after previously being limited to a lower age group, the Health Ministry said on Monday. The vaccine is provided as part of the National Programme for the Primary Prevention of Cancers Caused by HPV 2025–2030, adopted by the Council of Ministers in April 2025. Previously, vaccines were available to girls aged 10 to under 15 and boys aged 10 to under 14. Vaccination against HPV is recommended and administered at the request of a parent or guardian by general practitioners, paediatricians and ob/gyns working under the programme.

Children under the age of 15 receive two doses of the HPV vaccine, administered 6–12 months apart. Girls aged 15 years or over receive three doses of the vaccine, with an interval of one to six months between the first and second doses, and three to six months between the second and third doses. Immunization is considered complete once the required number of doses for the respective age group has been administered.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection. It is the main cause of cervical cancer and may also cause other cancers in both women and men. The Health Ministry said the HPV vaccine is effective and safe.