Vaccine
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0264410X
Volume 30, Issue 37 pp. 5449-5584 (10 August 2012)

High HPV vaccination uptake rates for adolescent girls after regional governmental funding in Shiki City, Japan
Original Research Article
Pages 5547-5550
Y. Hayashi, Y. Shimizu, S. Netsu, S. Hanley, R. Konno

Abstract
Background
In Japan, the bivalent HPV vaccine was approved in October, 2009 and became available as a non-routine vaccine from December, 2009. While routine vaccinations are free, the cost and responsibility for non-routine vaccinations are left to the individual. In exceptional circumstances regional governments fund non-routine vaccinations. This was the case in Shiki City, Saitama Prefecture, where a high uptake rate for individual (non-school based) HPV vaccination was obtained.

Materials
On January 20, 2010, the mayor of Shiki City announced to the media his decision to vaccinate adolescent girls in Shiki City against HPV. A project team for HPV vaccination was set up in the city’s Health Promotion Center. To gain mutual consent for HPV vaccination, senior health professionals, city officials, the head of the board of education, school principals and health-care teachers met several times. The cohort to be vaccinated was 1254 girls aged 12–15 years. Individual notifications were mailed to each girl on April 23, 2010, along with information about the HPV vaccine.

Conclusions
As of April 10th, 2011, the uptake rate for girls aged 15 years old was 90.7% for the 1st dose. The vaccine registry is managed by the health care system of the city. The success of the HPV vaccination program and high uptake rates in Shiki City is a good model for the nationwide HPV vaccination program that started in February, 2011.