Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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3231. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department has plans to reopen the Laura Brennan catch up HPV vaccine programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44011/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The ages at which vaccines are recommended in the immunisation schedule are recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), in order to give each child the best possible protection against vaccine preventable diseases. As the HPV vaccine is a preventative measure, it is intended to be administered, if possible, before a person becomes exposed to HPV infection. Therefore, the gender-neutral HPV vaccination programme targets all girls and boys in first year of secondary school.

The Laura Brennan Catch-up programme ran from December 2022 to December 2023.

A schools-based HPV catch up programme will be put in place in 2026. This will provide students who had previously been offered a HPV vaccine another opportunity to receive the vaccine. It is important that children of school going age are vaccinated before they become sexually active. The World Health Organisation has set a target for all countries to ensure that 90% of girls are vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15 years.

All options are being explored to identify a suitable delivery model for those aged under 25 who have left school.

In addition, this year, the HSE will run a pilot programme which will focus on improving the HPV vaccination rates among underserved communities, including Traveller, Roma and migrant groups living in Ireland.