“As we aim to implement a strategy to eliminate the human papillomavirus, by 2026, HPV vaccination will be expanded to include individuals up to 26 years old,” stated Rita Sá Machado at the ceremony celebrating the 60th anniversary of the National Vaccination Program (PNV).
The Director-General of Health remarked that this measure is “very relevant” for eliminating a virus associated with various types of cancer, particularly cervical cancer. She added that the DGS guideline on expanding HPV vaccination will be published “very soon”.
“For us, it is truly important to include this measure and continue over time to identify other measures we can incorporate towards the elimination of the human papillomavirus,” Rita Sá Machado emphasized during the ceremony taking place at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.
According to the 2024 annual report of the DGS National Vaccination Program, vaccination coverage against HPV infections in girls has remained high, surpassing the target of 90%.
In boys, the trend of progressively increasing vaccination coverage in various age groups continues, approaching that reached in girls and surpassing the 90% target in the 15-year-old group, the report states.
The HPV vaccine was introduced into the National Vaccination Program in 2008, initially targeting 13-year-old girls.
Subsequently, the vaccination age was lowered to 10 years, covering girls up to 18 years old, and in 2020, it was also extended to boys born on or after January 1, 2009.
During the ceremony, promoted by the Directorate-General of Health, Rita Sá Machado considered the 60th anniversary of the PNV, marked on Saturday, as “a historic milestone”.
“It is a landmark in the history of public health in Portugal, and 60 years later, we can proudly say that this program has profoundly transformed our country’s public health. Thanks to high vaccination coverage, Portugal has achieved remarkable effects,” highlighted the Director-General of Health.
