From Term 3 2026, HPV dose 2 will no longer be delivered through the School-Based Immunisation Programme (SBIP). Whānau wishing to complete the two-dose course can access HPV dose 2 free of charge through general practice, pharmacies, and other community health services from August 2026.
From 27 July 2026 (Term 3), SBIP will deliver:
HPV dose 2 will no longer be offered in schools. The HPV vaccination schedule itself has not changed — SBIP is prioritising dose 1 because strong international evidence shows it provides comparable protection to the two-dose course when coverage is high, supported by the WHO and Aotearoa New Zealand's National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group.
From August 2026, practices may receive requests for HPV dose 2 from whānau of tamariki in Years 7 and 8. Key points to note:
Practices are strongly encouraged to offer catch-up HPV vaccination to rangatahi aged 14 to 26 who have not yet received any doses — an estimated 370,000 young people nationally. High coverage in this group is essential to accelerating progress towards the elimination of cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Health NZ will provide patient-facing materials and practice collateral in July 2026 ahead of implementation. For full details, refer to the Health New Zealand letter to PHOs and general practice (PDF).
A pilot collaboration has highlighted the power of working together to provide more responsive services that better engage families around childhood vaccination.
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