Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination
(asked on 3rd December 2025) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help increase uptake of the HPV vaccine.
Uptake rates in England remain high by international standards but adolescent vaccine coverage for human papillomavirus (HPV) has fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic, although evidence suggests coverage trends have stabilised more recently. National Health Service commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent vaccination programme. There are established approaches to offering catch-up vaccination, and further work is underway to explore options for strengthening the catch-up offer. Currently, those who miss out on vaccination via the school-based offer can catch-up via the general practice (GP) HPV campaign, which went live from July 2025. GPs have been asked to invite unvaccinated individuals aged 16 to 24 years old for their HPV vaccine as a requirement of the GP Contract. The campaign runs until 31 March 2026, with girls remaining eligible until they are 25 years old, as do boys born after 1 September 2006.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes and provides a range of supporting materials to health professionals on both the 12- and 13-year-old HPV offer and the vaccine programme for those at higher risk. For example, further information on the HPV vaccination programme over all and the HPV vaccination programme for men who have sex with men is available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-programme
The UKHSA also works closely with charities and academics to develop resources that can be used to raise awareness of HPV and the importance of vaccination, including for boys.
NHS England, in conjunction with regional colleagues, has produced an HPV vaccination school-aged immunisation improvement and uptake plan for internal operational NHS use, as part of their commitment to improving vaccine coverage.
In addition, NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS App, and has improved access to the HPV vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations.