About the HPV Vaccination Service
At Boots, we recognise that some people may wish to consider vaccination against HPV, either for themselves or their children, but that they're outside the inclusion criteria for the national HPV Vaccination programme.
The Boots HPV Vaccination Service is available privately for both men and women aged 16 to 44, subject to eligibility criteria*. The service is offered by specially trained Boots pharmacists in selected Boots pharmacies.
How it works
How long will my appointment take?
The pharmacy consultation will take approximately 10 minutes. You'll need to stay in the pharmacy for around 15 minutes after your vaccination, just in case you have any immediate side effects.
To avail of the service, you’ll first need to complete your HPV Vaccination Consultation with your doctor. You can complete this online^ at Health Hero by clicking here†. Or at Webdoctor.ie by clicking here†. Once you've completed the consultation, you’ll need to book an appointment in your chosen Boots pharmacy and your prescription will be sent via Healthmail, ready for your appointment. You'll need to pay for your vaccinations, but not until you've attended your appointment.
Please note that HPV vaccination is not recommended routinely for all adults aged 27 through 45 years. If you are aged 27-44 it is recommended that you discuss with your doctor whether HPV vaccination may be of benefit to you. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions below for further information.
Price
The number of vaccinations that you need to complete the vaccination course will be decided by your doctor, this might be one, two or three doses. The price of each vaccination is €185.
The service is available in selected Boots pharmacies nationwide. Check appointment availability here; select your preferred county to find your nearest store and appointment times.
What is Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?
HPV is the term given to a group of more than 100 viruses that are spread by skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. It's a very common virus and most people will be infected with a form of HPV in their lifetime.
Most people who have an HPV infection will have no symptoms and will clear the virus without ever knowing they had it. However, sometimes an HPV infection can persist and lead to certain types of cancer such as cervical cancer as well as anal, vaginal, oropharyngeal (part of the throat at the back of the mouth), vulvar (area surrounding the opening of the vagina) and penile cancers.
Who is at risk of catching HPV?
HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity so you can get it by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It can be passed on even when an infected person has no signs or symptoms. Using condoms can reduce the risk of catching HPV but they don’t offer full protection as the virus can infect areas not covered by a condom.
Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV, even if you have had sex with only one person. You may develop symptoms years after you have sex with someone who is infected, or you may have no symptoms at all.
What protection is available against HPV?
Being vaccinated against HPV offers the best protection against the virus. Ideally, this should be before becoming sexually active, as you won’t yet have come into contact with the virus. If you are sexually active, you will still benefit from the service, as the HPV vaccination will help protect against HPV infections in the future. However, it will have no effect on active infections and established or previous disease. It will also not prevent the possible development of disease if you are already infected with HPV.
In Ireland the national HPV Vaccination Programme aims to vaccinate, on an annual basis, all girls and boys in first year in second level schools and age equivalent in special schools and home-schooled students who wish to avail of the HPV vaccine. In addition, the Laura Brennan HPV vaccine catch-up programme provides for some people age 16 or older who have not yet had the vaccine to now get the vaccination through school or a HSE clinic. These programmes are provided free of charge and further information is available on the HSE website here.
In July 2018, the National Immunisation Committee (NIAC) recommended the HPV vaccine for people living with HIV up to and including 26 years of age and for all gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM), including gbMSM living with HIV, up to and including 45 years of age. The vaccine for this population is available through many STI and HIV clinics nationwide.
In the case of cervical cancer it is important to note that the use of the HPV vaccine does not give complete protection against cervical cancer and so females should still attend for their regular cervical screening test each time it is due. Further information on cervical screening can be found on the HSE website here.
What HPV vaccine is offered as part of the service?
The vaccine that will be administered as part of the Boots HPV Vaccination Service is the HPV9 vaccine (Gardasil 9) which protects against the HPV types that cause approximately 90% of cervical cancers, 85-90% of HPV related vulvar cancers, 90-95% of HPV related anal cancer, and 90% of genital warts [1]. This is the same vaccine that is administered as part of the national programme. Further information about the vaccine, including information about safety, efficacy and side effects can be found at the following links:
Vaccine Patient Information Leaflet
Health Service Executive (HSE) HPV website
Patients may require a course of up to three vaccinations, this will be decided by your doctor. Where three are required, one is administered on the first visit, the second after two months and the third six months after the first appointment.
I received a course of the HPV 4 vaccine a few years ago, can I now get the newer HPV 9 vaccine?
The current national recommendation is that revaccination with HPV9 where someone has completed a vaccination course with another HPV vaccine is not recommended as a routine. However, a doctor will decide if the benefit of immunity against the 5 additional types of HPV is justified for each patient. Both the HPV 4 and HPV 9 vaccines target HPV 16 and 18, types that cause approximately 66% of cervical cancers and the majority of other HPV-associated cancers in men and women. Both vaccines also target HPV 6 and 11, types that cause anogenital warts. The HPV 9 vaccine offers protection against 5 cancer causing strains not covered by the HPV 4 vaccine (HPV 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58) which cause about 15% of cervical cancers. The benefit of protection against these 5 additional types is mostly limited to females for prevention of cervical cancers and pre-cancers; only a small percentage of HPV-associated cancers in males is due to the five additional types prevented by HPV9.
Notice for doctors
If you provide online HPV Vaccination Service consultations and want a link out to your medical practice from this page, send your request in writing, including a link to your online platform, to Boots Ireland at the following email address: Pharmacy.office.ireland@boots.ie. A member of the Boots Ireland team will respond within three working days with further details.
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*Subject to eligibility and availability. Selected stores only. Charges apply. Valid prescription required.
**Administration of the HPV vaccine(s) as part of the HPV Vaccination Service requires doctor consultation and is subject to valid doctor prescription containing specific administration instruction as follows: “Administration required. Only to be administered by a pharmacist who holds all valid and necessary certification as approved by the Registrar of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland for the provision of vaccination services by a registered pharmacist. Administer in accordance with the Summary of Product Characteristics of the product being administered and the Immunisation Guidelines for Ireland, as published and updated by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland”. Note: Most doctors in Ireland will prescribe a HPV vaccination, where indicated, following a consultation. Most doctors will not include the administration instruction above as standard. Boots pharmacists can only administer the vaccine where the administration instruction above is included.
^A separate charge applies for the doctor consultation.
