Across England, Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage has consistently decreased from pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency.
The national HPV vaccination programme, introduced in 2008, aims to protect adolescents from HPV-related cancers such as cervical and mouth cancer. This school-based programme is routinely offered to year 8 students in all local authorities, with some authorities providing catch-up vaccination activities in years 9 and 10.
In the 2023 to 2024 academic year, the coverage for year 9 females dropped by 1.6 percentage points compared to the previous year, and by 1.2 percentage points for year 9 males. In England, the HPV coverage for year 9 students stood at 74.1% for females and 68.5% for males.
However, there is significant disparity in vaccine coverage across local authorities. While some authorities, such as Warwickshire and Stockport, have vaccinated over 90% of eligible females by year 9, 12 local authorities in England vaccinated less than 50% of females. The London authorities of Brent (25.5%), Hillingdon (31.5%), Ealing (34.2%), and Camden (37.5%) had the lowest vaccination percentages for year 9 females.
Additionally, 23 local authorities, including Kensington and Chelsea (25.8%), Hillingdon (30.6%), and Westminster (36.1%), vaccinated less than 50% of year 9 boys, highlighting both geographic and gender disparities in vaccination rates. Vaccination rates were higher in males than females in only 3 out of the 151 local authorities (Southwark, Isles of Scilly, and Rutland). In contrast, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster had over a 20 percentage point difference in vaccination rates between female and male students.
Regionally, London had the lowest rates, with 60.9% of females and 56.5% of males vaccinated. In contrast, the South East had the highest coverage, with 79.7% of females and 74.2% of males vaccinated. London also exhibited the greatest variation in coverage, ranging from 25.5% to 93.3% for females and 25.8% to 88.9% for males. The South West showed the least variation, with coverage between 70.1% and 86.2% for females and 62.6% and 81.5% for males.
The decline in HPV vaccine coverage aligns with trends seen in many other routine vaccination programmes. Providers from the School Age Immunisation Services attribute this to post-pandemic vaccine hesitancy and fatigue.
Dr Sharif Ismail, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “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 with older children immediately after the pandemic and we need to ensure these efforts are sustained. Our overall uptake rates are still behind pre-pandemic years.”
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.”
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.”
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