Effects of a National Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Program in Australia

In Australia, the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been provided free to adolescent girls and young women (age range, 12–26) since 2007; about 80% of eligible adolescent girls have received one dose, and 70% have received all three doses. To determine the effects of HPV vaccination at the population level, investigators assessed trends in clinical diagnoses of genital warts in 112,083 patients who attended sexual health centers in Australia for the first time from 2004 through 2009.

The overall rate of newly diagnosed genital warts remained steady from 2004 through 2006, but declined from 9.5% to 6.3% from 2007 through 2009. The reduction was most marked among female residents who were ≤26 and were eligible for vaccination…