Childhood Immunisations

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Immunisation Uptake rates: 2008/09

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine is designed to protect against the two types of HPV that cause around 70% of the cases of cervical cancer. Girls need three doses over a period of six months to give them the best protection. The HPV vaccine does not protect against all cervical cancers, so regular cervical screening is important.

The HPV Immunisation Programme in Scotland started on 1 September 2008.  The programme aims to protect girls by routinely immunising them at around 12-13 years of age, in second year of secondary school, through a school-based programme.

A catch-up campaign for older girls is being carried out over a three-year period from September 2008 and applies to girls who were aged 13 to 17 on 1 September 2008.  In the first year of the programme (2008/09), girls in the catch-up cohort who were in fifth and sixth year of secondary school, and girls of equivalent age who had left school (girls aged 16 and 17 years on 1 September 2008), were offered the vaccine.

This release presents updated statistics on uptake of the first and second doses of HPV immunisation and, for the first time, uptake rates for the third dose, for girls in second, fifth and sixth year of secondary school in school year 2008/09.  As some girls will have started their course of HPV immunisations later in the school year, they may not yet be due for their third dose, and therefore uptake rates for the third dose are expected to increase. Girls who have not completed their course of vaccinations during the school year 2008/09 will be offered the opportunity to complete their course of immunisations during 2009/10.

The release also includes interim statistics on uptake rates recorded so far for the first and second doses of HPV immunisation for older girls in the catch-up cohort who have left school.  The majority of NHS Boards started this part of the catch-up programme in the first quarter of 2009.  This is partly being arranged through community clinics and partly through some GP practices who are involved in the programme.  As NHS Boards are at different stages in their catch-up programme this will affect the reported uptake rates in some areas.  As some girls will have started their course of immunisations relatively recently, they will not have had time yet to complete more than one immunisation so the uptake rates reported here may appear low, but are likely to improve in subsequent publications.

Uptake rates for the third dose of HPV immunisation will be published in December 2009 if data recording is sufficiently complete.

HPV immunisation uptake rates by NHS Board and Scotland can be viewed by clicking on the link below:

  HPV uptake rates 2008/09 [ 70 KB]

For the school year 2008/09, for girls in school, at Scotland level:

• Uptake of HPV immunisation amongst girls in second year of secondary school is 93.7% for the first dose, 92.7% for the second dose and 89.4% for the third dose.
  
• Uptake amongst girls in fifth year of secondary school is 93.9% for the first dose, 92.7% for the second dose and
  87.5% for the third dose.
  
• Uptake amongst girls in sixth year of secondary school is 92.6% for the first dose, 91.3% for the second dose and 84.8% for the third dose.
  
• Overall, amongst girls in second, fifth and sixth year of secondary school, uptake of the HPV vaccine is 93.5% for the first dose, 92.4% for the second dose and 87.7% for the third dose.

Interim statistics:

• Uptake of HPV immunisation for girls in the school leavers' catch-up cohort (aged 16 and 17) is 43.1% for the first dose and 35.0% for the second dose.
  
• Uptake of HPV immunisation for all girls in the catch-up cohort (girls in S5, S6 and girls aged 16 and 17 who have left school) is 68.0% for the first dose and 63.2% for the second dose.
  

Previously published HPV statistics are also available:

Provisional HPV uptake rates as at 16 February 2009 [ 42 KB]