In January 2007, Missouri Family Health Council (MFHC) was one of two agencies selected to coordinate a grant for $11 million from the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) to provide the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, called Gardasil®, at no cost to those who could not otherwise afford it.
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The vaccine, approved for females ages nine to 26, protects against 70% of the strains of the virus that cause cervical cancer and 90% of the strains that cause genital warts.
The grant from MFH makes it possible for both the uninsured and under-insured to have access to the HPV vaccine. The HPV vaccine costs $120 per dose from the manufacturer. This three-dose series can become exceptionally expensive after both the provider and clinic costs are added on. Many insurance carriers do not cover preventive healthcare, or the deductible or co-pay can be cost-prohibitive for many Missourians.
Since the start of the project, nearly 12,500 clients have received at least one dose of HPV vaccine. In its first year, the grant has allowed more than 18,000 clients to be vaccinated in 127 clinics across Missouri through MFHC and Missouri Primary Care Association. MFHC currently has 69 clinics that are participating in the project through 13 delegate agencies. MFH recently extended MFHC’s grant contract through Dec. 31. MFHC encourages all healthcare providers to talk to their patients about the HPV Vaccine.
The Missouri Foundation for Health works to increase access to health care in 84 counties in Missouri. In September 2007, the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the REACH Healthcare Foundation committed $2 million to vaccinating approximately 5,000 in the Kansas City area on both sides of the state line.