The petitioner shall: Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic
Name of the petition:
A petition for the introduction of a voluntary and fully-paid HPV vaccination for all and all
It's quare: No.
Number of persons supporting the petition: 1,764
Date of delivery: 12.04.2022
Date of equipment: 10.05.2022
Equipment: § 5 (6) of Law No 85/1990 Coll. on petition law as amended - not evaluated
Reason for equipment:
On 12.04.2022 a submission from 07.04.2022 was delivered to the mail office of MZ SR. A petition for the introduction of a voluntary and fully-paid HPV vaccination for all and all, the sender of which is Civic Association Naturally, Veľký Pesek 310, 937 01 Sikenica. The submission was received together with 221 pieces of signature sheets in documentary form with a list of 1764 persons who supported the petition electronically via the mojpeticia portal. GR The Office of the Minister for Health referred the documentation to the further proceedings of the Unit of Control, Supervision and Complaints (hereinafter referred to as "ÚKDaS') in cooperation with the Department of Pharmacy and Drug Policy and the Department of Public Health, Screening and Prevention.
As an organizational unit of MZ SR in the meaning of the organizational order of MZ SR as valid material relevant for handling complaints and petitions in the material scope of MZ SR received a submission dated 07.04.2022, designated as "Petiation for the introduction of voluntary and fully paid HPV vaccination for all and all of the – including its annexes adopted. The ÚKDaS, after considering the content as a formal requirement of filing and the signature sheets received in the context of the provisions of § 3 (3), § 4a and § 5 (1) of Law No 85/1990 Coll. on petitioning law as amended (hereinafter referred to as the "Petic Law Act') registered the documentation received in the Special Report of the Registry maintained at the ÚKDaS as petition made by Mr Pet 6/2022, which has the character of an application.
In view of the fact that the petition is in the nature of the application, the Ministry of the Slovak Republic is obliged to make a petition within the meaning of Article 5 (6) of the Law on Petitions, according to which, if the content of the petition indicates that the petition cannot be dealt with under paragraph 5, the public authority competent to handle the petition containing the application or proposal shall assess its content and send a written reply together with the statement of reasons to the representative within the period referred to in paragraph 5.
One reason for the low vaccination rate of adolescents in Slovakia was the high payment for the nonavalent vaccine against HPV Gardasil 9, which parents had to pay for the vaccine to their children. At the initiative of the Department of Pharmacy and Drug Policy of the Slovak Republic, the main specialist of MZ SR for children and adolescents, as well as the cooperation of major experts and professional companies, has successfully secured from 01.05.2022 full reimbursement by health insurance companies of vaccine against HPV virus, Gardasil 9 for children in the thirteenth year of life. In parallel, the MZ SR also launched a wide-ranging campaign, one of the objectives of which is to inform the public about the availability of HPV vaccine without payment. Experts agreed that the vaccine against HPV is most effective before first intercourse, as with girls as with boys. Therefore, at this stage of vaccination, the concept was adopted that the most effective way in the Slovak National Immunisation Programme is to vaccinate adolescents with fully covered vaccine health insurance companies.
In connection with the current full reimbursement of Gardasil 9, both sexes of children have a 12 year-old chance to implement the strategy announced in the National Cancer Plan of Slovakia and to reach the level of prevention programmes of most developed EU countries in percentage vaccination of adolescents.
The recommendations for vaccination are the same for both boys and girls. The ideal age for vaccine vaccination against HPV is between 11 and 12 years of age, where most of them are not yet sexually active. Vaccination in adolescents is preferred to adulthood because adolescents are unlikely to be exposed to the virus and have a better immune response to the vaccine.
To this end, it is intended to help vaccinate against HPV vaccine at least 90% of the target female population and increase vaccination in boys. In this sense, nonavalent HPV vaccine Gardasil 9 represents the only rational primary prevention both against HPV cancers and for boys. In addition to the extended spectrum of high-risk HPV genotypes, the indication of prevention against genital warts induced by HPV genotypes 6 and 11 should be highlighted. There is only one fully-paid vaccine available in Slovakia that provides this prevention and it is the nonavalent HPV vaccine Gardasil.
In terms of raising HPV awareness and anti-HPV vaccination, MZ SR has an active working group on communication on screenings and also addresses the subject of HPV vaccination. Anti-HPV vaccination was also the theme of a press conference held at MZ SR in cooperation with patient organisations as well as health insurance companies. MZ SR was part of the preparation of Joint Action on Communication campaigns on HPV vaccination, a joint initiative of Member States. MZ SR is also actively involved in IARC project, Improving cancer care and coordination and screening, where one of the main themes is the creation of a communication strategy with the help of IARC technical assistance.
The vaccine is also effective in adult men and women. Efficacy is also demonstrated in patients already infected with one type of HPV, and the vaccine can protect them against the remaining eight types of viruses. Discussions will continue with health insurance companies on the possibility of better access to vaccination in other age categories as well as on other options for effective HPV detection in our population. After some time-frame and evaluation of the results of vaccination against HPV vaccine against adolescents in Slovakia, it will be possible to discuss the possibility of extending the full reimbursement of vaccine for other age groups within the working group on MZ SR with experts and health insurance companies.
By sending a written reply to the representative of MZ SR he considers the petition to be equipped in accordance with § 5 (6) of the Act on petition law.
Place: Bratislava– Date:11 May 2022