How do you organize the HPV vaccination, Dr. Hösemann?

Dr. Cornelia Hösemann, a practicing gynecologist in Großpösna near Leipzig in Saxony, is one of the first HPV vaccination specialists and has also met the Nobel Prize winner and “inventor” of the vaccination, Professor Harald zur Hausen.

The member of the advisory board of the Saxon Vaccination Commission (SIKO) vaccinates patients – and often their partners as well – against HPV almost daily in order to contain the spread of cervical cancer and other cancers associated with HPV.

Hösemann explains in the "ÄrzteTag" podcast how she addresses her patients, how she asks women with children about their children's vaccination status, and what success she has achieved with school vaccinations. She recently joined the team of experts on the Ärzte Zeitung vaccination hotline .

Hösemann calls for uniform vaccination fees throughout Germany

It's very important to the gynecologist that boys are also vaccinated—as was Professor zur Hausen's vision. The SIKO implemented this much earlier for Saxony than the Standing Committee on Vaccination for the rest of the country, she mentions in passing.

In the interview, Hösemann explains why she believes every doctor should vaccinate and educate people about it – and why the HPV vaccination isn't just for a few specialist groups. Hösemann also addresses the issue of varying reimbursement for HPV vaccination – and calls for uniform vaccination fees across Germany.

Hösemann reports that her experience with vaccination over the past almost 20 years has been consistently positive, and she hasn't experienced any serious vaccination complications. Doctors and parents now have the power to improve vaccination rates, for example, through on-site vaccination—at the youngest possible age, because then only two vaccinations are required.

Hösemann also touches on the topic of adult vaccination, which is increasingly being covered by health insurance companies, sometimes as a statutory benefit, and discusses the special features that need to be considered in this regard when providing information. Last but not least, she explains why vaccination is always a matter of relationship building for doctors. (Length: 38:28 minutes)