HPV vaccine coverage still falling post-pandemic, report shows

GPs are vital for catch-up in the wake of changes including the move to a single dose of vaccine, cervical cancer experts say.

Thousands of Australian teens may be missing out on the HPV vaccine, according to a report that shows declining coverage since 2020.

Among 15-year-olds, coverage dropped to 83% in 2023 compared with a peak of 85.7% in 2020, according to the latest NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control report.

For adolescent females, vaccination dropped from 86.6% in 2020 to 84.2% in 2023.

The drop was sharper for males — 84.9% to 81.8% in the same period.