Changes to HPV vaccination delivery: what general practice needs to know
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.
What is changing?
From 27 July 2026 (Term 3), SBIP will deliver:
- HPV dose 1 (Gardasil9)
- Tdap (Boostrix)
- Catch-up measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) (Priorix)
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.
What does this mean for general practice?
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 will not be expected to proactively recall or follow up for HPV dose 2
- PHOs will not be performance-managed on HPV dose 2 delivery or coverage
- Demand is expected to be limited, with over 500 pharmacies across Aotearoa also offering HPV vaccination
Catch-up vaccination: a priority action
Practices are 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.
Next steps
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).