People aged 19 to 26 can get vaccinated for the human papillomavirus (HPV) from 31 January by GGD Brabant-Zuidoost. The vaccination was also offered to boys for the first time in 2022.
HPV is a very contagious virus, according to the GGD Brabant-Zuidoost. Eight out of ten people will become infected with it at some point. There are more than a hundred HPV variants, of which types 16 and 18 are the most dangerous.
Although the body usually clears the virus itself, certain variants of the virus can cause cancer of the mouth, throat and genitals. Every year, 1500 people in the Netherlands get cancer due to HPV. These are mainly women, namely 1100, compared to 400 men.
“In our region, more than 60,000 young adults will receive an invitation in the coming weeks”, says Hellen van Poppel on behalf of GGD Brabant Zuidoost. “Of course we hope for a high turnout. After all, you not only protect yourself against six types of cancer, but also your partner. And the vaccinations are free this year”, says Van Poppel.
For good protection, two vaccinations are required, five months apart. An appointment can be made via hpvafspraak.nl .
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
