Gauteng launches HPV vaccination campaign for Grade 5 girls

The Gauteng Department of Health is urging parents, caregivers and legal guardians to sign and return consent forms to ensure eligible Grade Five girls receive the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer.

According to the South African Government News Agency, the vaccination campaign forms part of the Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP) and will run from August 3 to October 9 at participating independent primary schools across Gauteng.

Vaccination teams will then visit outstanding public primary and special schools to immunise eligible learners who missed the earlier rollout.

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The department said the HPV vaccine will be provided free of charge to all eligible Grade Five girls aged nine years and older, including those who missed previous vaccination opportunities. A single dose offers long-lasting protection against the virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

Department spokesperson Steve Mabona urged parents and guardians to ensure consent forms are completed and returned on time.

“The HPV vaccine is a safe, effective and life-saving intervention that significantly reduces a young girl’s risk of developing cervical cancer later in life. We encourage every parent, caregiver and legal guardian to support this campaign by signing and returning the consent forms so that eligible learners can benefit from this protection,” said Mabona.

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Cervical cancer is one of the leading cancers affecting women in South Africa, but health authorities say it is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and regular cervical cancer screening.

The department said the Cervarix vaccine, used in the public health programme, protects against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause more than 70% of cervical cancer cases.

During the 2025/26 vaccination campaign, health teams reached 1 498 of the 1 500 targeted public schools, where 72 249 Grade Five girls were vaccinated.

In the independent school sector, teams visited 530 of the 664 targeted schools, vaccinating 9 740 girls.

Despite these achievements, vaccination coverage in independent schools remained lower because of vaccine hesitancy, learner absenteeism, some schools declining access to vaccination teams and thousands of parental consent forms not being returned.

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Mabona said the department has intensified awareness campaigns and strengthened collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Education and schools to improve participation.

“Every consent form returned is an opportunity to protect a child from a preventable disease. We urge parents not to allow misinformation or delays to stand in the way of this important public health intervention. Together, we can increase vaccination coverage and protect the next generation of young women from cervical cancer,” he said.

The department also highlighted findings published in The Lancet Global Health, which showed 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.

Health officials stressed that learners younger than 12 will only be vaccinated with signed parental or guardian consent, while those aged 12 and older may provide their own consent in line with national health guidelines.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to read the information provided by schools and return completed consent forms promptly so eligible learners do not miss the opportunity to receive the potentially life-saving vaccine.