WHO experts back HPV vaccine option for girls 4 to 8

World Health Organization vaccine experts recommended on Tuesday that countries consider routine HPV vaccination for girls aged four to eight if doing so is likely to improve vaccine uptake and coverage.

Anthony Scott, who chairs the WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, said 165 countries had introduced the human papillomavirus vaccine. But he said global HPV vaccine coverage was 33 percent, far below the 90 percent target.

The WHO says HPV vaccination is a priority for all girls aged nine to 14. In 2022, the advisory group recommended a one- or two-dose schedule for girls aged nine to 14, the same for young women aged 15 to 20, and two doses six months apart for women over 21.

After reviewing updated evidence, the group said the single-dose schedule for girls aged nine to 14 was the most efficient way to reach the global target. Scott said countries could also consider routine vaccination for girls aged four to eight if that would increase uptake and coverage.

The WHO says persistent HPV infection causes cervical cancer. It said cervical cancer was the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in women globally, with about 604,000 new cases and around 280,000 deaths in 2024.

Kate O'Brien, head of the WHO's vaccines department, said more than 95 million girls had received HPV vaccines by the end of 2025.

The advisory group said single-dose HPV vaccination may be expanded to other target groups in priority order: catch-up vaccination for women up to 25, then women up to 30, routine vaccination for boys aged nine to 14, and then catch-up vaccination for males up to 20.