Public Health England (PHE) have announced forthcoming changes to the HPV immunisation programme

Public Health England has published a letter this week about forthcoming changes to the HPV immunisation programme.

The letter notes how for the 2021-22 academic year, the HPV vaccine will be changing from Gardasil® to Gardasil®9. PHE will supply and will issue the remaining vaccines before switching. The change will impact both HPV programmes – for adolescents and for the MSM group up to 45 years of age.

There will need to be clear communication with parents and eligible adolescents for the school-based programme and measures to ensure consent is processed.

The letter also provides a progress update for the immunisation programme. From 2008 to 2018, the prevalence of HPV types 16/18 in 16–18-year-olds had reduced below 2%.

From 2019, the HPV programme had also been expanded to 12- and 13-year-old males. The programme was however paused due to the pandemic, which has had a significant impact on the uptake of the vaccine. Since, NHSE has commissioned a catch-up programme to make up for those who were missed during earlier lockdowns.

You can read the letter in full here.