DOH to launch free HPV vaccine program for girls starting 2025

The Department of Health (DOH) will launch a free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for Filipino girls in 2025 following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s approval of the budget.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa announced that the government has secured funds to vaccinate all young girls against HPV starting next year, emphasizing its high cost and importance in reducing cervical cancer rates.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), 8,549 Filipino women were affected by cervical cancer in 2022, with half of them dying from it, making it the third leading cause among women in the Philippines.

The DOH aims to vaccinate more than one million Grade 4 students in public schools and additional students in private schools starting in the second quarter of 2025 as part of its efforts to increase the country's immunization rate from 60 percent to 95 percent.

Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo highlighted that administering the vaccine at age nine is ideal for preventative measures, though it can still be given later in life. The program also plans to extend HPV vaccination to men to prevent further spread of the virus.