Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to launch targeted outreach programmes in areas with low HPV vaccination rates.

NHS England works with the UK Health Security Agency and local health partners and communities to understand the needs of their populations and tailor immunisation programmes to meet the needs of under-vaccinated communities.

Boys and girls in cohorts eligible for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination through the adolescent programme remain eligible until their 25th birthday. Many young people who missed out on their vaccinations have already been caught up, but work is ongoing to ensure that all those who are eligible are vaccinated, and School-Aged Immunisation Service providers are continuing to focus on HPV programme recovery post-pandemic.

In March 2025, NHS England published the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, which outlines how the National Health Service will improve uptake and coverage across HPV vaccination and cervical screening. The plan sets how NHS England will improve HPV vaccination rates through increasing access, raising awareness, reducing inequalities, improving digital capabilities, and strengthening workforce capacity. Further information on the plan is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/

The 10-Year Health Plan for England, published 3 July 2025, has committed to increasing the uptake of HPV vaccinations among young people, including those who have left school, to support our aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

NHS England, in conjunction with regional colleagues, has also produced a HPV vaccination improvement and uptake plan for internal operational NHS use, as part of their commitment to improving vaccine coverage.

For Cervical Screening Awareness week, which takes place between 19 and 24 June 2025, NHS England launched its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit. The campaign includes digital resources that create a strong sense of shared responsibility and aim to increase awareness of the elimination goal, educate the public about HPV, and build confidence in the HPV vaccine and cervical screening.