Right now grade 8 girls throughout Toronto and Ontario are provided free vaccines for the Human Papillomavirus, but Toronto Public Health has announced that it is broadening the base for the free vaccines.  

“Girls that are in high school and two years out of high school, so up to 19 years of age, we know that forty percent of them did not get the vaccine when they were in grade eight and so now through provincial funding we can now give them the vaccine for free.”said Dr. Vinita Dubey, Associate Medical Officer of Health with Toronto Public Health.

The vaccine, which includes three doses, would normally cost between $400 and $500. 

Girls between the ages of 14 and 19 can now get the vaccine for free at six Toronto Public Health clinic locations (See link below).

http://www.toronto.ca/health/immunization/hpv/clinics.htm

Three in four people will become infected with HPV in their lifetime and 390 Canadian women die annually from cervical cancer. Over 79 million doses of this vaccine have been given worldwide. Parents with questions about the vaccine can call TPH’s Immunization Line at 416-392-1250 or visit www.toronto.ca/health .