Eliminating cervical cancer in Canada
Progress on HPV vaccination in Canada
Key takeaways
- HPV vaccination rates across Canada are suboptimal, with only five provinces reporting rates higher than 80 per cent for at least one dose of the vaccine. By contrast, vaccination rates for other adolescent vaccines such as hepatitis B range from 85 per cent to 95 per cent.(1)
- HPV vaccination rates vary significantly between jurisdictions, ranging from 66 per cent to 93 per cent for at least one dose of the vaccine.
- As of 2024, only one dose of the HPV vaccine is recommended as necessary for all individuals nine to 20 years of age, unless immunocompromised.(2)
- HPV vaccination rates are lower among children from equity-denied communities including those from lower-income neighbourhoods.(3) Very little data has been collected to describe how race, ethnicity, education and other social determinants of health impact HPV vaccination rates.
- HPV vaccination rates differ between geographies.(3) In some regions, those in rural and remote communities experience lower vaccination rates than their urban counterparts, while in other regions it is the converse.
HPV vaccination rates (one or more doses) by province/territory (years vary)
Hover over each province and territory for HPV vaccination rates and additional context.
Legend
● ≤69% of 17-year-olds received 1+ dose ● 70-79% of 17-year-olds received 1+ dose ● 80-89% of 17-year-olds received 1+ dose ● ≥90% of 17-year-olds received 1+ dose ● Insufficient data
1All provinces and territories administer GARDASIL®9 on a one-, two- or three-dose schedule according to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended vaccination schedule for HPV vaccines.
21-dose HPV vaccination data not available for all jurisdictions. Where not available, 2-dose HPV vaccination rates are reported.
3Jurisdictions are categorized based on the overall vaccination rate. When overall rates are not available, jurisdictions are categorized based on female or male vaccination rate, whichever is higher.
4Each province and territory measures this indicator differently. Because of these differences, data cannot be compared across provinces/territories. Data was gathered from provincial and territorial websites, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, which provided the data directly.
Data tables and footnotes.
Change in HPV vaccination rates over time (years vary)
Hover over each province and territory for HPV vaccination rates and additional context.
Legend
● Increase ● Decrease ● No change ● N/A
Change based on at least 1 dose at the given age. Where there were discrepancies between 1 dose and 2 doses, the rate for 1 dose was taken.
Data tables and footnotes.
Percentage of 14-year old children vaccinated for HPV, by neighbourhood income quintile (before tax), Canada, 2021
Legend
● Vaccination target
Data table and footnotes
Percentage of 14-year old children vaccinated for HPV, by location, Canada, 2021
Legend
● Vaccination target
Data table and footnotes
Story of progress
HPV vaccine uptake can vary from neighbourhood to neighbourhood
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is one of five regional health authorities in British Columbia, serving more than 1.25 million people in its local region. VCH also delivers specialized, complex care and services for people throughout British Columbia and serves as the province’s hub for healthcare education and research. The health authority conducted a study using vaccination, demographic and school enrollment data to understand trends in vaccine uptake among students in Grades 6 and 9 in the 2021/22 and the 2022/23 school years. The study revealed significant differences in HPV vaccine uptake among students by sex, grade and school type.
VCH also found that HPV vaccine coverage was influenced by socio-demographic differences in neighbourhoods, including level of social deprivation, material deprivation, geographical community of care and proportion of visible minority residents. Neighbourhood- and community-specific research can help highlight pockets of under-vaccinated people within a population. This information can be used to design interventions tailored to neighbourhood contexts to improve HPV vaccination rates.
First Nations-, Inuit- and Métis-governed research and data systems
To further support closing gaps in care, health system partners are prioritizing First Nations-, Inuit- and Métis-governed research and data systems and collaborating with First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners to co-design tailored solutions.
Efforts are also needed to enhance linkages across cancer data and fill data gaps, including collecting data on equity identifiers, to better understand who experiences disparities. This reporting will provide actionable insights to support program improvement.
- Public Health Agency of Canada. Vaccination Coverage Goals and Vaccine Preventable Disease Reduction Targets by 2025 [Internet]. 2022. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization-vaccine-priorities/national-immunization-strategy/vaccination-coverage-goals-vaccine-preventable-diseases-reduction-targets-2025.html.
- 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.
- Public Health Agency of Canada. Highlights from the 2021 childhood National Immunization Coverage Survey (cNICS) [Internet]. 2023. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization-vaccines/vaccination-coverage/2021-highlights-childhood-national-immunization-coverage-survey.html.