Call for young people to avail of HPV vaccine catch-up programme

Lancet study highlights impact of inoculation in significantly reducing cervical cancer deaths among young women

Young people who previously missed out on receiving the HPV vaccine are to be given a second chance to avail of the life-changing inoculation through a new HSE initiative.

Under the latest phase of the Laura Brennan HPV Vaccine Catch-Up programme, vaccination teams have begun visiting post-primary schools across the country to offer free HPV vaccination to students in second, third, fourth and fifth year who have not previously received the vaccine.

Home-educated young people in eligible age groups can also access the free vaccine, which is already offered annually to boys and girls in their first year of secondary school.

Laura Brennan, whose advocacy transformed HPV vaccine uptake in Ireland