Gardasil 9 is a vaccine that helps guard against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is the cause of genital warts and several kinds of cancer. GetGarded.ca is a resource developed by Health Initiative for Men (HIM) to help you with information about HPV and the Gardasil 9 vaccine, including information about the best pathways for you to access the vaccine based on your eligibility.
ACCESSING THE HPV VACCINE (GARDASIL 9)
Federal guidelines recommend HPV vaccination to men 27 years of age and older at ongoing risk of exposure to HPV, but not everyone in our community can access the vaccine free of cost. HIM is working with our community to ensure everyone can GetGarded for Life against HPV:
YOUR PATHWAYS TO GARDASIL
Accessing Gardasil is different depending on where we live. Could you give us an idea of where you currently live?
OUTSIDE BC
The HPV vaccine is available across Canada but accessing it can be different depending on where we live.
Here are some resources to help you access Gardasil in your province:
Find general information about each province’s government website and links to each provincial governments’ website on the Gardasil 9 website.
Find out if your private insurance covers vaccination using the Gardasil 9 website.
Find the nearest clinic or pharmacy to access Gardasil by entering your postal code on Vaccines411.ca or use the clinic finder on the Gardasil 9 website.
HIM is working with our community to ensure everyone can GetGarded for Life against HPV. You can speak up and support this work by clicking here.
YOUR PATHWAYS TO GARDASIL
Are you currently covered by BC’s Medical Services Plan (MSP) ?
YOUR PATHWAYS TO GARDASIL
Do you currently have private insurance coverage?
YOUR PRIVATE INSURANCE
Private health insurance policies often include some form of vaccine coverage. Gardasil itself may be covered, or we may have a set amount that we can spend on vaccinations of our choosing annually.
Contacting your insurance company is the surest way to know what coverage you have. Find the contact information of the larger insurance companies and what to ask them on the Gardasil 9 website.
If you have a drug benefit wallet card, a pharmacist can check if your private insurance covers Gardasil 9. The pharmacist will need Gardasil 9’s Drug Identification Number (DIN), which is 02437058.
Find out about private insurance coverage of Gardasil at Get Garded.
HIM is working with our community to ensure everyone can GetGarded for Life against HPV. You can speak up and support this work by clicking here.
FIND YOUR PATHWAY TO GARDASIL
There is a program that helps some people with low-incomes access Gardasil. However, this program is for people with extremely low income, often living below the poverty line.
“MERCK ACCESS” PROGRAM
You might be eligible for the “Merck Access” Program!
Merck Access is a program that helps people with extremely low income get free access to the vaccine.
Applications to the program must be made through a health care provider, or a nurse at HIM Health Centre.
HIM is working with our community to ensure everyone can GetGarded for Life against HPV. You can speak up and support this work by clicking here.
PAY OUT OF POCKET
If you don’t qualify to get Gardasil for free and don’t have health insurance that covers it, you have the option of buying and paying for it yourself.
Gardasil can be prescribed by pharmacists and administered at many pharmacies and clinics. Costs vary, but in general the total cost for all three shots is around $660.
Find the nearest clinic or pharmacy to access Gardasil by entering your postal code on Vaccines411.ca or use the clinic finder on the Gardasil 9 website.
Nurses at HIM Health Centres are also able to get a doctor to prescribe the vaccine. Nurses can sometimes also administer vaccines brought in by a client.
Find out more about paying out of pocket and how it works on Get Garded.
HIM is working with our community to ensure everyone can GetGarded for Life against HPV. You can speak up and support this work by clicking here.
FIND YOUR PATHWAY TO GARDASIL
There are different ways to access Gardasil that depend on a person’s age. Which of the following age groups do you fall under?
FIND YOUR PATHWAY TO GARDASIL
Do ANY of the these apply to you?
A guy who’s gay or bi, or has sex with other guys
Living with HIV
Trans
A guy who isn’t having sex but is interested in sex with other guys
Under 19
Homeless or insecurely housed
Sex worker (exchanging sex for money or resources)
PROVINCIAL PROGRAM
You should be eligible to access Gardasil through the Provincial Program!
The provincial government covers the full cost of Gardasil for those who answered yes to one or any of the categories in the previous question.
People who qualify for the provincial vaccine program can be vaccinated through their regular health care provider or a local public health clinic, local community health centre, or STI clinic.
Find out about the provincial program and how to get Gardasil for free on Get Garded.
HIM is working with our community to ensure everyone can GetGarded for Life against HPV. You can speak up and support this work by clicking here.
Gay men disproportionately have a higher burden of HPV infection and are 20 times more likely than heterosexual men to develop anal cancer. Men who are HIV positive are even more in danger of developing anal cancer. Federal guidelines recommend HPV vaccination to men 27 years of age and older at ongoing risk of exposure to HPV. But not everyone in our community can access the vaccine free of cost. Help us advocate for expanded eligibility! Sign the petition and contact your local politician.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). HPV is the cause of most genital warts and several cancers, including almost all cases of cervical cancer and 80-90% of cases of anal cancer. Find out more about HPV.
HPV is easily transmitted by almost any sexual contact: oral, anal, frontal/vaginal, or even just skin-to-skin contact.
Condoms can provide some protection, but the most effective way of preventing HPV infection is a vaccine called Gardasil. Gardasil guards against the types of HPV that cause most genital warts and several kinds of cancer. Find out more about preventing and treating HPV.
Under the age of 27? You’re probably eligible to get Gardasil for free through a provincial program. The program is for people under 27 years old who identify as (trans and cis) men who have sex with men.
Gardasil is recommended for men from age 27 onward who are gay, bi, queer, or have sex with other men. There is no age limit. That means that some private insurers will now provide coverage, although it can also be bought with a prescription from a pharmacy.
If you considered getting Gardasil in the past but found it too expensive, it might be time to talk to a health care provider or insurer about getting vaccinated.
Unfortunately, the recommendations for people from the age 27 onward do not account for gender diverse people and only give clear guidance to cis men and cis women. Individual health care providers can prescribe Gardasil to people who they think qualify.
