The HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine provides protection against various cancers, including mouth, head & neck, cervical, anal, and genital cancers, impacting both girls and boys.
Administered to all 12-13-year-olds in schools and community clinics, parental consent is necessary for their child to receive the vaccine from NHS nurses.
School closures and pupil absences caused HPV vaccination rates to plummet during Covid-19.
Yet, new figures reveal vaccine coverage remains significantly lower than before the pandemic. Data reveals that by the end of this school year, over 50,000 girls and more than 70,000 boys in year 10 didn't get vaccinated against HPV.
Nigel Carter, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, said, "In the wake of the pandemic, our hopes for a swift recovery in HPV vaccination rates for children have been disappointed by current figures. It is concerning that the post-pandemic rebound of the program has yet to materialise.
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