The Gauteng Department of Health strongly recommends that parents return signed consent forms to ensure that eligible students receive the HPV vaccine during the upcoming school vaccination campaign.
The Department has appealed to parents, guardians, and custodians to sign and return consent forms for the forthcoming Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign. This is because over 24,000 forms were not returned during the previous campaign, which affected vaccination coverage in some educational institutions.
The Department noted that various difficulties impacted vaccination coverage, particularly in private schools. These issues included schools refusing access to vaccination teams, student absences on vaccination days, which affected 1,830 learners, and the non-receipt of 24,327 parental consent forms.
According to the Department, the campaign, which is part of the Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP), will run from August 3 to October 9, 2026, in participating private primary schools across Gauteng. Following this, vaccination teams will visit remaining public primary and special schools to cover eligible students who might have been missed during the early campaign, as most public schools were covered earlier this year.
Cervical Cancer Prevention
Department representative Steve Mabona stated that the HPV vaccine will be offered to all eligible Grade 5 girls aged 9 and older, including those who may have missed previous vaccination opportunities. He emphasized that a single dose of the vaccine provides effective protection against HPV infection and significantly reduces the risk of developing cervical cancer in the future.
Mabona reminded that cervical cancer remains one of the most common types of cancer among women in South Africa, but it is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screenings.
He specified that HPV is a common virus affecting both men and women. Although there are over 200 HPV types, types 16 and 18 are responsible for over 70% of cervical cancer cases. The Cervarix vaccine is used in the public health program, which is safe and highly effective against these high-risk strains.
Mabona reported that the Department's HPV vaccination campaign achieved significant coverage in public and private schools during the 2025/26 period. Out of 1,500 targeted public schools, 1,498 were covered, leading to the vaccination of 72,249 Grade 5 girls. In the private school sector, 530 out of 664 targeted schools were covered (79.8%), and 9,740 Grade 5 girls were vaccinated.
It was noted that the student coverage rate in public schools was 80%, compared to 37.7% in private schools. Mabona also pointed out that misinformation and vaccine hesitancy contributed to lower rates in some schools.
Nevertheless, to overcome these obstacles, the department, in collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Education, has strengthened stakeholder engagement, intensified public awareness efforts, and improved cooperation with schools to boost participation and vaccination coverage.
A recent study published in The Lancet Global Health found that the HPV vaccination program in South African schools reduced infections caused by HPV types 16 and 18 by 83% among young women, including those living with HIV. These results demonstrate the substantial public health benefit of achieving high HPV vaccination coverage.
Mabona concluded that the success of this campaign depends on the support of parents and the community. He stressed that no student will be vaccinated without a signed consent form, although students aged 12 and older may provide their own consent in accordance with national health guidelines. Nevertheless, the department urges parents and guardians to actively participate in this important health intervention by reading information provided by schools, completing consent forms, and returning them promptly to ensure protection against cervical cancer.
