FMWC HPV Task Force Issues New White Paper to Address Ongoing HPV Vaccination Crisis in Ontario

Urgent Measures Proposed to Bolster HPV Vaccination Rates in Ontario and Safeguard Thousands from Cancer Risk

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 1, 2023 /CNW/ - Marking the first day of the 7^th annual HPV Prevention Week, The Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) has released a White Paper with renewed recommendations from a task force in light of insufficient progress in Ontario's HPV vaccination catch-up. The White Paper offers 10 essential recommendations for health care providers, Public Health Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Health aimed at recovering pre-pandemic school-led immunization levels in the province and addressing the barriers to reaching Canada's 90 percent HPV immunization coverage commitment.

Widely known as the leading cause of cervical cancers, human papillomavirus (HPV) is also the most important risk factor for head and neck (oropharyngeal) cancers.ⁱ Additionally, HPV causes 80-90 percent of anal cancers, 40 percent of vaginal and vulvar cancers and 40-50 percent of penile cancers.^ii,iii  HPV is highly preventable. Vaccines available in Canada today offer safe and effective protection against up to nine HPV strains, including those most likely to result in cancer.^iv

Canada has committed to achieving a 90 percent HPV immunization coverage, which is the level needed to eradicate cervical cancer.^v Ontario was far from reaching this target even pre-pandemic at a vaccination rate below 60 percent – lower than most other provinces and many other countries.^vi Disruptions caused by COVID-19 led to a dramatic decline in immunization rates.^vii The latest data shows that up to 84.4 percent of Ontario students in grades 9,10 and 11 have not completed the HPV vaccine series as part of the school-lead immunization program.^viii This leaves a significant portion of students at an increased risk for preventable cancer.

By the numbers (as of August 31^st, 2022):

• For children 12-years old and in grade 7 in the 2019-2020 cohort (now 16 years of age), only 36.3 percent were up to date with their HPV immunizations.
• For children 12-years old and in grade 7 in the 2020-2021 cohort (now 15 years of age), only 23.4% of children were up to date with their HPV immunizations.^ix

"If we do not act now to increase HPV immunization levels in schools in Ontario, we will see increasing numbers of adults vulnerable to vaccine preventable cancers," said Dr. Vivien Brown, chair of the HPV Immunization Task Force, chair & co-founder of HPV Prevention Week in Canada, and a past president of FMWC. "It's time to urge the government, public health, school boards, and primary care providers to work together to fill the massive gap between our 90 percent HPV immunization coverage commitment and our current progress."

Task Force Recommendations

The task force convened by the Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) in August 2023 included physicians, pharmacists, researchers, public health nurses, and dentists nationwide to share the latest research and best practices for HPV prevention in Canada and address the crisis in Ontario.

The White Paper produced by the task force calls on the provincial government to immediately work towards implementing a unified provincial vaccine registry as a primary goal. Only with an updated and accessible vaccine tracking system can patients, parents and HCPs make accurate assessments about which vaccines are needed and prompt individuals and families when vaccines are due.

All together, the 10 essential recommendations outlined in the White Paper aim to increase HPV vaccine awareness among key groups and improve deficiencies in communication, collaboration, technology and access. The recommendations focus on six main areas:

• Access to the HPV vaccine
• Communication about the HPV vaccine
• Collaboration among HCPs, Public Health Ontario, and government
• Change management
• Leveraging technology to improve vaccine uptake
• Investment in public health and research

"The goal of eliminating HPV-related cancer at the provincial, national, and global levels will require new and creative solutions," emphasized Brown. "If we act now, it is within our reach to achieve an HPV vaccination rate of over 90 percent by 2030 and potentially eliminate cervical cancer within the next century."

In response to recommendations issued by the first FMWC task force White Paper in 2022, the Ontario Ministry of Health implemented several changes including extending eligibility for the publicly funded Grade 7 HPV vaccine to students in Grade 12.^x The FMWC reconvened in 2023 to assess the current situation and to discuss, develop, educate and advocate on creative strategies to meet national and international targets for the eradication of cervical cancer.

For more details on the FMWC White Paper and its recommendations, please visit canadavshpv.ca/taskforce.

About FMWC

The Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) is a national organization committed to the professional, social and personal advancement of women physicians and to the promotion of the well-being of women both in the medical profession and in society at large. Established in 1924, the FMWC is also an independent nation member of the Medical Women's International Association. For more information, please visit: www.fmwc.ca.

ⁱ Canadian Cancer Society. Risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer. https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/oropharyngeal/risks Accessed September 6, 2023.

ⁱⁱ Saraiya M, Unger ER, Thompson TD, et al. US assessment of HPV types in cancers: implications for current and 9-valent HPV vaccines. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2015;107(6):djv086.

ⁱⁱⁱ Canadian Cancer Society. Human papillomavirus. https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/reduce-your-risk/get-vaccinated/human-papillomavirus-hpv. Updated 2023. Accessed September 6, 2023.

^iv Centers for Disease Control. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/public/index.html. Updated November 16, 2021. Accessed September 7, 2023.

^v Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Action plan for the elimination of cervical cancer in Canada, 2020-2030.

^vi Public Health Ontario. Immunization Coverage Report for School Pupils in Ontario 2018–19 School Year. https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/I/2020/immunization-coverage-2018-19.pdf?sc_lang=en. Updated August 10, 2020. Accessed September 6, 2023

^vii Public Health Ontario. Immunization Coverage Report for School Pupils in Ontario 2018–19 School Year.

^viii Public Health Ontario. Immunization coverage for school-based programs in Ontario: 2019-2020, 2020-2021 and 2021-22 school years with impact of catch-up programs. https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/I/2023/immunization-coverage-2019-2022.pdf?rev=8c17516457604f77aff7e0321157e536&sc_lang=en Updated January 25, 2023. Accessed

^ix Public Health Ontario. Immunization coverage for school-based programs in Ontario

^x Public Health Ontario. Catch-Up of Routine and School-Based Immunizations for School-Aged Children and Adolescents. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjZ3o7tyZeBAxV_FzQIHSuhDkAQFnoECBkQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publichealthontario.ca%2F-%2Fmedia%2FEvent-Presentations%2F2022%2Fimmunization-school-children-adolescents.pdf%3Fsc_lang%3Den&usg=AOvVaw1PzSRSgQhbDgTUJOv89Hmq&opi=89978449. Updated July 20, 2022. Accessed September 6, 2023.

SOURCE Federation of Medical Women of Canada

For more information, or to request an interview with a member of the FMWC HPV Task Force, please contact: Lauren Douglas, Veritas Communications, [email protected], 647-984-8518