Eliminating cervical cancer in Canada

Improving HPV vaccination rates

Key takeaways

  • The HPV vaccine is safe and effective in preventing cervical cancer and data continues to demonstrate its safety and effectiveness.(1-7)
  • Publicly funded, school-based and catch-up HPV vaccination programs are available in all provinces and territories, however, eligibility varies.(5)

Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by long-lasting infection with certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection can also cause six different types of cancer, including cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis and anus, as well as certain head and neck cancers.(8) However, safe and effective HPV vaccines have been available and used in Canada for over 15 years(5) — and can prevent the kinds of infections that lead to cancer. HPV vaccination works best when given at a young age, prior to exposure of HPV.(2,4)

HPV vaccines have been available in Canada since 2007 and, as of 2017, all provinces and territories offer gender-neutral publicly funded HPV vaccination programs.(5) These programs provide an effective and equitable means to reach young people and are foundational to preventing cervical cancer, but coverage, eligibility and access vary significantly across the country. For instance, many people who would benefit from HPV vaccination do not qualify for publicly funded programs and face a financial barrier of spending hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket for the vaccine. Explore the specific actions needed for Canada to continue to improve and expand HPV vaccination.

Expanding HPV vaccination eligibility

Expanding eligibility for and access to the publicly funded HPV vaccine would support affordability, physical access and acceptability of the vaccine while upholding culturally appropriate data collection standards within and across vaccination programs. One strategy to support eligibility and access to HPV vaccination is to make the vaccine available for free to all people up to age 26.

As of 2025, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are the only provinces/territories with universal access to the HPV vaccine up to age 45 or a “once eligible, always eligible” policy. Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick offer the HPV vaccine up to age 26, with the remainder offering more limited eligibility.

[We should be] extending the vaccination eligibility and coverage [to] get a wider population vaccinated—hopefully free of charge if that’s possible. It is a very expensive vaccination when you’re outside of the school-based program."

Natasha Lam, Patient, Family & Caregiver Advisor, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer

Centering equity and reconciliation

Equity-denied individuals—including those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, those who identify as visible minorities, those who live in rural and remote locations, and those who are from lower-income neighbourhoods—may experience specific, distinct and intersectional barriers to accessing HPV vaccines.(9,10) Identifying and addressing these inequities and barriers is a central focus of the Action Plan, which also calls for the implementation of Peoples-specific actions related to HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention and care for First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

These actions must be embedded into any work on improving HPV vaccination rates across Canada and done in collaboration with First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners. The Urban Public Health Network is centering equity and reconciliation in its collaborative work with partners across Canada to increase HPV vaccine uptake among equity-denied populations, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

Hear from Dr. Angeline Letendre, Vice President and Research Chair, Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association, about the importance of this priority.

Story of progress

An arts-based approach to raising awareness about the HPV vaccine

Drawing on evidence about the role of art in health promotion, Kwanlin Dün First Nation partnered with Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in artist Stormy Bradley to raise awareness about the HPV vaccine.(11) Stormy’s artwork is centered on the strength of Indigenous women, reclaiming and destigmatizing Indigenous sexuality and critiquing misogyny in mass media. Using beadwork, Stormy depicted an HPV microbe, a healthy cervix and a cervix with HPV. Photos of her work were used for posters as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the HPV vaccine. The campaign resulted in meaningful community discussions, active interest from community members, and a significant increase in awareness and vaccine coverage in the local population.

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Safety [Internet]. 2025. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/hpv.html.
  2. de Sanjose S, Serrano B, Tous S, Alejo M, Lloveras B, Quiros B, et al. Burden of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-Related Cancers Attributable to HPVs 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52 and 58. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2018;2(4):pky045. Epub 2019/07/31. doi: 10.1093/jncics/pky045. PubMed PMID: 31360870; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6649711.
  3. Donken R, van Niekerk D, Hamm J, Spinelli JJ, Smith L, Sadarangani M, et al. Declining rates of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in British Columbia, Canada: An ecological analysis on the effects of the school-based human papillomavirus vaccination program. Int J Cancer. 2021;149(1):191-9. Epub 2021/02/16. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33513. PubMed PMID: 33586169.
  4. Government of Canada. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines: Canadian Immunization Guide [Internet]. 2024. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-immunization-guide-part-4-active-vaccines/page-9-human-papillomavirus-vaccine.html.
  5. Goyette A, Yen GP, Racovitan V, Bhangu P, Kothari S, Franco EL. Evolution of Public Health Human Papillomavirus Immunization Programs in Canada. Curr Oncol. 2021;28(1):991-1007. Epub 2021/02/23. doi: 10.3390/curroncol28010097. PubMed PMID: 33617515; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC7985769.
  6. Palmer TJ, Kavanagh K, Cuschieri K, Cameron R, Graham C, Wilson A, et al. Invasive cervical cancer incidence following bivalent human papillomavirus vaccination: a population-based observational study of age at immunization, dose, and deprivation. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024;116(6):857-65. Epub 2024/01/22. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djad263. PubMed PMID: 38247547.
  7. Racey CS, Albert A, Donken R, Smith L, Spinelli JJ, Pedersen H, et al. Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Rates in British Columbia Women: A Population-Level Data Linkage Evaluation of the School-Based HPV Immunization Program. J Infect Dis. 2020;221(1):81-90. Epub 2019/09/11. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiz422. PubMed PMID: 31504649; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6910877.
  8. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Human Papillomaviruses 2007 [cited 2024 Jul 1]. Available from: https://publications.iarc.who.int/Book-And-Report-Series/Iarc-Monographs-On-The-Identification-Of-Carcinogenic-Hazards-To-Humans/Human-Papillomaviruses-2007#:~:text=This%20ninetieth%20volume%20of%20the,available%20during%20the%20past%20decade.
  9. Amiling R, Winer RL, Newcomb ME, Gorbach PM, Lin J, Crosby RA, et al. Human papillomavirus vaccination coverage among young, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and transgender women – 3 U.S. cities, 2016-2018. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2021;17(12):5407-12. Epub 2022/02/27. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2021.2005436. PubMed PMID: 35213950; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC8904010.
  10. Henderson RI, Shea-Budgell M, Healy C, Letendre A, Bill L, Healy B, et al. First nations people’s perspectives on barriers and supports for enhancing HPV vaccination: Foundations for sustainable, community-driven strategies. Gynecol Oncol. 2018;149(1):93-100. Epub 2018/04/02. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2017.12.024. PubMed PMID: 29605057.
  11. Flicker S, Danforth JY, Wilson C, Oliver V, Larkin J, Restoule J-P, et al. “Because we have really unique art”: Decolonizing Research with Indigenous Youth Using the Arts. International Journal of Indigenous Health. 2014;10(1):16-34. doi: 10.18357/ijih.101201513271.
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