OVER a quarter of schoolkids are missing out on a vital vaccine that protects against six cancers, health bosses have warned.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common group of viruses that don’t usually cause any problems, but some high-risk strains can cause cancer – including cervical or head and neck cancer.
Rates of HPV immunisation among schoolkids have fallen since the pandemic[/caption]
A jab that protects from the virus is offered to both boys and girls aged 12 to 13, with catch-up vaccines offered to people who missed it.
But the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned that over a quarter of eligible pupils are missing out on the life-saving jab each year.
The HPV vaccine has been offered to all girls in Year 8 since 2008, with Year 8 boys added to the programme in 2019 after evidence showed that it helps protect both genders from HPV-related cancers.
While people used to be offered two doses of the jab, nowadays only one is needed to offer protection from the virus.
UKHSA is now urging all young people to take up the HPV jab in schools when given the chance- asking parents to make sure they sign the consent forms to enable their children to be vaccinated.
It comes after a survey found that eight in 10 people are unaware boys can get an HPV jab at school.
The shocking survey of 2,100 people, released on HPV Awareness Day, revealed that 82 per cent of people do not know that boys are eligible for the jab.
Another 60 per cent didn’t know schoolgirls could get the jab either.
Nearly two in five respondents (38 per cent) didn’t know which groups are eligible at all.
The knowledge gap comes amid falling vaccination rates.
Government data shows that only 72.9 per cent of Year 8 girls and 67.7 per cent of Year 8 boys were vaccinated in the 2023–2024 school year, a sharp drop from 88 per cent and 71 per cent before the pandemic.
Meanwhile, only 74.1 per cent of Year 9 girls and 68.5 per cent of Year 9 bots took up the jab, a decrease from the year before.
Levels also fell by about 7 per cent among Year 10 students, with only 76.7 per cent of girls and 71.2 per cent of boys getting vaccinated.
Officials say there has been an increase in the number of non-returned and declined consent forms from parents.
Experts warn that this decline could lead to a rise in HPV-related cancers, including mouth, throat, anal, penile, vulval and vaginal cancer.
The HPV vaccine has already reduced cervical cancer rates by 90 per cent in England, and Scotland has reported zero cases in jabbed women since the programme began.
NHS bosses reckon the jab will make cervical tumours the first kind of cancer to be completely wiped out, as HPV causes almost all cases.
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 both boys and girls.
Everything you need to know about the HPV vaccine
The HPV vaccine protects against some of the risky HPV types that can lead to genital warts and cancer.
Gardasil has been the HPV vaccine used in the NHS vaccination programme since 2012. It is protective against nine types of HPV.
For example it is effective against types 16 and 18 which cause around 80 per cent of cervical cancers in the UK.
That’s why it is important for people who have a cervix to still get a smear test when invited by the NHS.
Cervical cancer takes the lives of 854 people a year currently – but this is expected to continue decreasing thanks to the vaccine.
There are around 3,200 new cases of the devastating cancer a year, with peak incidence in women in their early 30s.
But the HPV vaccine doesn’t just prevent cervical cancer – it stops some anal, genital (vaginal and penile), mouth and throat (head and neck) cancers.
These affect both men and women.
Who should take it?
The first dose of the HPV vaccine is routinely offered to girls and boys aged 12 and 13 in school Year 8.
The second dose is offered 6 to 24 months after the 1st dose.
If a school child misses their doses, you can speak to the
school jab team or GP surgery to book as soon as possible.
Anyone who missed their jab can get it up to their 25th birthday.
But people who have the first dose of the HPV vaccine at 15 years of age or above will need to have three doses of the vaccine because they do not respond as well to two doses as younger people do.
The HPV vaccine used to only be given to girls who are at risk of cervical cancer when they are older.
But in 2018, it was announced that boys – who can get HPV-related cancers of the head, nech, anal and genitals – would also be given a jab.
Girls indirectly protect boys against HPV related cancers and genital warts because girls will not pass HPV on to them.
But the programme was extended to further eliminate risk of the virus spreading in the future.
Men who have sex with men (gay and bisexual) do not benefit from this indirect protection, and so are also able to get the HPV vaccine up to the age of 45.
Some transgender people can also get the vaccine.
Those assigned female at birth would have gotten one as a child. But those assigned male at birth could get a jab if they transition to female and have sex with men.
“Although we have seen some increases in the number of young people being vaccinated, uptake is still well below pre-pandemic levels, with over a quarter missing out on this vital protection.
“We urge young people and their parents to ensure consent forms are returned so both boys and girls 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: “The science is clear: HPV vaccination is safe and effective.
“It’s vital that access to HPV vaccination and cervical screening is improved to ensure more lives aren’t lost to cervical cancer.
“I encourage all eligible people to take up these life-saving offers.”
“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, national director for vaccinations and screening for NHS England, went on: “Hundreds of women die of cervical cancer in England each year – and 99.8 per cent of cases of cervical cancer are preventable, through HPV vaccination and cervical screening – so this vaccine is crucial in our drive to eliminate the disease by 2040.”
The Eve Appeal and Oracle Cancer Trust ‘Sign Away Cancer’ campaign aims to raise awareness of the vaccine’s life-saving potential.
Dr Aziza Sesay, a GP, said: “There are still a lot of misconceptions surrounding the HPV vaccine.
“Why would anyone rush to take it if they don’t fully grasp its benefits?”
Oracle CEO Tamara Kahn said: “This isn’t just about statistics – it’s about real people whose futures hang in the balance.”
