By Lebone Rodah Mosima

The Gauteng Department of Health started its latest Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign on Monday, targeting eligible Grade 5 girls aged nine and older at participating primary schools.

“The campaign, which forms part of the Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP), will run from 3 August 2026 to 9 October 2026 at participating independent primary schools across Gauteng,” the department said.

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“Thereafter, vaccination teams will visit outstanding public primary and special schools to reach eligible learners who may have been missed during the earlier campaign, as the majority of public schools were covered during the rollout conducted earlier this year.”

The campaign also includes eligible learners who missed previous vaccination opportunities.

The routine school vaccination programme provides a single HPV vaccine dose to eligible Grade 5 girls. National guidance recommends an additional dose for learners living with HIV or with other immunocompromising conditions.

Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer among women in South Africa after breast cancer, but many cases can be prevented through HPV vaccination and regular cervical cancer screening.

“HPV is a common virus that affects both males and females. While more than 200 types of HPV exist, types 16 and 18 are responsible for over 70% of cervical cancer cases,” the department said.

“The HPV vaccine used in the public health programme, Cervarix, is safe and highly effective in protecting against these high-risk strains.”

The department said its HPV vaccination programme achieved substantial reach across public and independent schools during the 2025/26 implementation period.

Of 1,500 targeted public schools, vaccination teams reached 1,498 and vaccinated 72,249 Grade 5 girls.

In the independent-school sector, teams reached 530 of the 664 targeted schools, or 79.8%, and vaccinated 9,740 Grade 5 girls.

“Public schools recorded a learner coverage rate of 80%, compared to 37.7% in independent schools,” the department said.

“Several challenges affected vaccine uptake, particularly in independent schools.

These included schools declining access to vaccination teams, learner absenteeism on vaccination days, which affected 1,830 learners, and the non-return of 24,327 parental consent forms.”

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The department said misinformation and vaccine hesitancy also contributed to lower vaccination rates at some schools.

The Gauteng departments of health and education have since strengthened engagement with schools and communities and intensified public education efforts to improve participation and vaccine uptake.

“A recent study published in The Lancet Global Health found that South Africa’s school-based HPV vaccination programme reduced infections caused by HPV types 16 and 18 by 83% among young women, including those living with HIV,” the department said.

“The findings demonstrate the substantial public health benefits of achieving high HPV vaccination coverage.”

The research compared the prevalence of HPV types 16 and 18 among 17- and 18-year-old girls before and after the introduction of South Africa’s earlier two-dose school vaccination programme. It found that the prevalence of the two strains was 83% lower in the post-vaccination cohort, with similar benefits among girls living with and without HIV.

The department said the success of the latest campaign depended on parental and community support.

Learners under the age of 12 require consent from a parent, guardian or caregiver. Children aged 12 and older may consent to medical treatment when they are sufficiently mature and have the capacity to understand its benefits, risks and implications.

“Parents and guardians are urged to read the information provided by schools, complete the consent forms, and return them promptly to ensure eligible learners do not miss the opportunity to receive protection against cervical cancer,” the department said.

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