Cervical cancer screening in Canada: 2021/2022
Linking HPV immunization status and screening results
HPV immunization is offered to children in all provinces and territories, generally between Grades 4 and 7. While these programs were initially available to school-aged girls only, immunization programs in all provinces and territories have been expanded to include school-aged boys. All jurisdictions now have HPV immunization catch-up programs for people who were not immunized as children.
Screening programs that collect HPV immunization status and link results
Six provinces and one territory are able to link screening results and specific cytology results with immunization status. AB is currently exploring options for possible linkage.
| P/T | The program can link cervical screening results (i.e. normal and abnormal results) with the immunization status of the screening participant. | HPV immunization status can be linked to a specific cytology result (e.g., HSIL). |
|---|---|---|
| YT | ||
| NT | ✓ | ✓ Can link to LSIL, HSIL, AGC and ASC-H. Cervical screening data does not include CIN information. |
| NU* | ||
| BC | ||
| AB | ✓ Exploring the options for possible linkage |
✓ |
| SK | ||
| MB | ✓ | ✓ |
| ON | ||
| QC | ||
| NB | ✓ As a formal Data request; Screening Program (CS-IIS) currently is not able to receive or store HPV immunization data |
✓ As a formal data request; Screening Program (CS-IIS) currently is not able to receive or store HPV immunization data |
| NS | ✓ | ✓ |
| PE | ✓ | ✓ |
| NL | ✓ | ✓ Able to link data with linkages from the cytology register with data from the provincial government’s immunization program |
NU: *Paper immunization cards are currently the “source of truth” documents for the immunization registry. Nunavut does not have an additional electronic immunization registry.