HPV Vaccine UK

[kittybacklash.livejournal.com]

Hello!

A few years ago I inquired about the HPV Vaccine when I was in the nurse's office for a few other vaccines and she checked her chart said I was just outside of the birth-dates to qualify getting the vaccine on the NHS (i.e. free!) and that if I wanted it I'd have to go private (expensive :<)

I was talking to a friend the other day who said that they have extended the time bracket to include more people who are eligible for a free vaccination. I can't seem to find anything online, and it's something I'd still love to get if it's available to me.

So, any UK VPers who can confirm/deny this rumour for me? I'm assuming it's a no but I'd love to find out otherwise.

I was born 22/11/88.

Thanks : )

Comments

[incarnated-joy.livejournal.com]

You're just a year younger than me (Scottish resident here) and I've never been told I was too old to get it on the NHS. Though they did tell me it'd most likely not help given my possible exposure rate, and the vaccine was still new enough at the time I was wary of it.

Best advice I can give would be to phone your local GP/Nurse, or even pop into the likes of Boots and ask their health care consultant if they know. I'e seen them advertising being able to get it at your local GP, so they'd probably know the age range :)

[kittybacklash.livejournal.com]

I'll definitely do that! How strange I hadn't heard anywhere else, I'm frequently at my local GUM/Sexual health place and reading the leaflets in the waiting room and I hadn't seen a mention outside of them giving info to school agers.

[tethys89.livejournal.com]

I think Scotland raised the age boundaries fairly early on so that people (the NHS website says women, I'm guessing by that they mean people with cervixes) up to the age of 26 (I think) could ask for it (and it would be the standard prescription cost per jab). When I got it done they asked if I had had any sexual contact with anyone, but as I answered 'no' I don't know if it would have been a problem if I answered 'yes' if that is at all relevant to your situation (I got it done at age 19, two years ago, I am almost dead on a year younger than you :) If I was born on my due date it would have been exactly).

I'm trying to google to see if England and Wales also raised the age boundaries, but all I can find is that it is not "routinely" offered to those over 18 years old. At the very least it's worth asking, it certainly can't cause any harm. (The Scottish NHS is very separate from the English and Welsh NHS, so what happens in Scotland doesn't necessarily reflect the situation south of the border)

[sasha2999.livejournal.com]

Oh thanks for alerting me to this, I'm exactly a month older than you, and would love to get the vaccine too.

[paraxeni.livejournal.com]

FPA still has it as 19 and under. www.fpa.org.uk/helpandadvice/hpvvaccine

Not sure if it makes a difference, but cervarix does only protect against two strains.