Free Cervical Cancer Vaccination for Female Adolescents Aged 13-17 and Low-Income Individuals Aged 18-26

Disease Control and Prevention Agency Expands Target from Existing '12-Year-Old Female Adolescents'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Starting from the 14th, female adolescents aged 13 to 17 and low-income women aged 18 to 26 will also be able to receive free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for the prevention of cervical cancer.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on the 10th that it will expand the national support for HPV vaccination, which was previously targeted at 12-year-olds, to include female adolescents aged 13 to 17 and low-income women aged 18 to 26.

Accordingly, in addition to 12-year-olds born between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010, 290,000 female adolescents born between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2008, and 100,000 low-income women aged 18 to 26 (born between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2003) will newly receive national support.

The eligibility is based on the year of birth. For those born in 1995, even if the dates for the 2nd and 3rd vaccinations after the first vaccination this year extend into next year, costs will be covered as long as it is within 12 months from the first vaccination date. If vaccination has already been received, retroactive application will not be made for past vaccinations, but support will be provided for the remaining doses.

For low-income individuals, submitting documentation verifying basic livelihood security benefits or second-lowest income bracket status to a public health center or designated medical institution on the day of vaccination is sufficient.

The supported vaccines are two types: HPV bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines. The Disease Control Agency explained, "The quadrivalent HPV vaccine is approved for ages 9 to 26, and the bivalent for ages 9 to 25 by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, so there have been continuous requests to expand the eligible age range. Especially since HPV vaccines are more expensive than other vaccines, we aimed to improve accessibility for low-income groups."

The average vaccination cost for HPV vaccines as of September last year was 167,551 KRW for the quadrivalent and 204,497 KRW for the nonavalent vaccine.

The number of HPV vaccinations and intervals vary depending on age and vaccine type. For those who receive the HPV bivalent or quadrivalent vaccine for the first time between ages 9 and 14, two doses must be administered within 6 to 12 months from the first dose. Even if the second dose is delayed until after age 15 when the first dose was given at age 14, the total number of doses remains two.

If the first dose is administered at age 15 or older, a total of three doses are required. For the HPV bivalent vaccine, the second dose is given one month after the first, and the third dose six months after the second. For the HPV quadrivalent vaccine, the second dose is given two months after the first, and the third dose six months after the first.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.