HPV Immunization Strategies by province
Thinking about getting vaccinated against HPV? We’ve put together this quick reference guide to HPV immunization strategies to let you know if the HPV vaccine is offered in your province.
All of Canada’s provinces now have publicly funded immunization strategies in place. These programs allow girls to get vaccinated for free in their schools long before they are at risk of being exposed to the virus. As for the northern Canada, the Yukon is the only territory offering HPV vaccination. Nunavut and the Northwest Territories are currently evaluating how to implement programs. It is thought that women in these parts of Canada, where access to health care and routine Pap testing is often scarce, may benefit the most from HPV vaccination.
Many girls, women and young men who want the vaccination are not covered by the publicly funded programs, which are usually only offered to girls between Grades 6 and 8, though this varies by province. While two vaccines have been approved by Health Canada, the vaccine being used for the publicly funded programs is the Gardasil brand for girls only.
If you do not qualify for HPV vaccination in your province or territory, you can still get vaccinated, but will have to pay $400-$500 for the three dosages, or rely on coverage from private health insurance. Even if you are not covered by a publicly funded program, you can often still get vaccinated at your local health centre with a prescription from a physician.
HPV vaccination programs by province / territory
- Alberta
Offered to girls in Grade 5. Vaccination will also be available for girls in grade 9 from September 2009 to June 2012. For more information on Alberta’s HPV vaccination program, see the official press release on the Alberta Health and Wellness web site. - British Columbia
Offered to girls in Grades 6. Catch-up program for Grade 9 (2008-2011). For more information on the province's HPV vaccination program, visit the BC Health Guide web site. - Manitoba
Offered to girls in Grade 6. For more information, visit the Manitoba Health web site. - Newfoundland and Labrador
Offered to Grade 6 girls. Vaccination will also be available for girls in Grade 9 from September 2008 to June 2010. - New Brunswick
Offered to girls in Grade 7. Catch-up program - Grade 8 (2008-2009). - Nova Scotia
Offered to Grade 7 girls. Catch-up program - Grade 8 (2010-2011 only), Grade 10 (2009-2010 only). - Ontario
Offered to Grade 8 girls. A list of public health units near you is available on the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care web site. - Prince Edward Island
Offered to Grade 6 girls. Catch-up program - Grade 9 (2009-2010 only). - Quebec
The province offers the vaccine for free to girls and women up aged 9 to 17. Schools only offer HPV vaccination to Quebec girls in Grade 4 and 9, but parents whose daughters fall between those grades can request to have them vaccinated by submitting parental consent forms. Girls over 14 years of age can request HPV vaccination themselves. Girls in aboriginal communities aged 9 to 17 can also access free HPV vaccination. - Saskatchewan
Offered to girls in Grade 6. Catch-up program - Grade 7 (2008-2009). - Yukon
Offered to Yukon girls in Grade 6. Catch-up program - Grades 7 and 8. - Northwest Territories
Offered to Grade 4 girls. Catch-up program - Grades 11 and 12 (2009-2010), Grades 10 and 11 (2010-2011), Grades 9 and 10 (2011-2012) and Grade 9 (2012-2014). - Nunavut
Offered to Grade 6 girls.
