Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 July 2025
881. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the lessons that have been learned to date from the Laura Brennan HPV vaccination catch-up programme to inform its future development; whether there are any specific areas of improvement that have been identified to increase uptake rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37822/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe ages at which vaccines are recommended in the immunisation schedule are recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), in order to give each child the best possible protection against vaccine preventable diseases. As the HPV vaccine is a preventative measure, it is intended to be administered, if possible, before a person becomes exposed to HPV infection. Therefore, the gender-neutral HPV vaccination programme targets all girls and boys in first year of secondary school.
The World Health Organisation has set a target for all countries to ensure that 90% of girls are vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15 years. In relation to uptake for the routine HPV vaccination programme, an uptake rate of 78.4% was recorded for the HPV vaccine in first year for 2022/2023).
In 2025, the HSE will run a pilot programme which will focus on improving the HPV vaccination rates among underserved communities, including Traveller, Roma and migrant groups living in Ireland. The pilot will provide access to targeted information and support that facilitates these groups to make an informed choice in relation to vaccination.
The Laura Brennan Catch-up programme ran from December 2022 to December 2023 and offered free HPV vaccines to:
• females who are 24 years of age or younger
• males who are 21 years of age or younger
Approximately 11,000 people received HPV vaccination through this programme.
The HSE has advised that the implementation of the catch-up programme faced challenges due to multiple competing vaccination programme priorities and simultaneous demands on the same resources.
Increasing vaccination uptake rates in the routine HPV vaccination programme is vital in order for Ireland to achieve elimination of cervical cancer by its target date of 2040. The HSE will continue to encourage all eligible people to get their vaccines on time and will continue to share facts about the importance of HPV vaccine for both males and females on www.hpv.ie.
