Young people urged to catch-up on missed HPV vaccines
Source: gov.uk (2025-01-23)

UKHSA publishes the latest human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage statistics in England

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging young people to take up the HPV vaccine in schools when offered. Latest figures overall indicate that uptake is stabilising, with encouraging signs of increases when people are first offered the vaccine in year 8.

However, HPV vaccine uptake among school pupils is still well below pre-pandemic levels of around 90%.

The data include HPV vaccine uptake rates for the 2023 to 2024 academic year, following the move from two doses to one dose (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hpv-vaccination-programme-moves-to-single-dose-from-september-2023) through the routine adolescent HPV programme in September 2023.

They show that:
- uptake among year 8 females was 72.9% (1.6% higher than the previous year) and 67.7% for year 8 males (2.5% higher than the previous year)
- uptake among year 9 females was 74.1% (1.6% lower than the previous year) and 68.5% for year 9 males (1.2% lower than previous year)
- uptake among year 10 females was 76.7% (6.5% lower than the previous year) and 71.2% for year 10 males (7.4% lower than the previous year)
Data also show the impact of catch-up efforts for HPV vaccination since the COVID-19 pandemic. HPV coverage for female year 9 pupils was 2.8% higher than the previous academic year when the same cohort was in year 8. Similarly for male year 9 pupils uptake was 3.3% higher than in 2022 to 2023.

The NHS HPV vaccination programme in England has been shown to have dramatically lowered HPV infections and rates of cervical cancer in vaccine-eligible women, with the strongest effects seen in those offered vaccination at younger ages. HPV vaccination also protects men and women against genital warts and other cancers of the genital areas and anus, as well as some mouth and throat (head and neck) cancers.

The HPV vaccine has been offered to all girls in school year 8 since September 2008. From September 2019, the vaccine has also been offered to year 8 boys. This is because the evidence is clear that the HPV vaccine helps protect both boys and girls from HPV-related cancers.

Dr Sharif Ismail, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

The HPV vaccine is one of the most successful in the world, now given as just a single dose helping to prevent HPV related cancers from developing in boys and girls.

It’s great to see HPV uptake rates increasing for when children are first offered the vaccine in year 8, but we need to ensure that more young people who do not take up the original offer for any reason are caught up. Good progress was made to catch up older children immediately after the pandemic and we need to ensure these efforts are sustained. Our overall uptake rates are still behind on pre-pandemic years.

We urge young people to take up this potentially life-saving vaccine when offered. Look out for the invitation from your school and if you missed your HPV vaccine, you can contact your GP practice to arrange an appointment - you remain eligible to receive the vaccine until your 25th birthday.

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said:

Every year, around 3,300 people are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK. Thanks to the power of research and efforts of NHS staff, we can eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem in our lifetime - the HPV vaccine combined with cervical screening can help to bring about a future virtually free from the disease.

The science is clear: HPV vaccination is safe and effective, and I encourage all eligible people to take up these life-saving offers.

Steve Russell, Chief Delivery Officer and National Director for Vaccinations and Screening at NHS England, said:

The HPV vaccine provides protection against a range of cancers in just a single dose, and supporting more young people to get vaccinated is vital to our ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

It’s encouraging that today’s figures show a rise in vaccination coverage across year 8 children, but almost a third are still yet to receive this vital protection.

The NHS HPV vaccine programme is offered to school aged children in years 8 to 11, with a catch-up offer available at GPs for those eligible, and it is essential that more young people get protected to help prevent more cancers and save lives.