National Cervical Screening Program monitoring report 2025

While it is a separate program from the NCSP, the National Immunisation Program (NIP) supports the cervical screening program through the provision of free HPV vaccines for young Australians. Through vaccination against HPV, the NIP provides primary prevention of cervical cancer; secondary prevention is provided by cervical screening through the NCSP.

Prior to 2019, HPV vaccination data were provided to the National HPV Vaccination Program Register until it was closed on 31 December 2018. Historical HPV vaccination coverage using data from the National HPV Vaccination Program Register are available on the Department of Health and Aged Care website Historical data from the National HPV Vaccination Program Register.

From 2019, HPV vaccination data have been provided to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). HPV vaccination coverage using data from the AIR are available in three recent reports: Impact evaluation of Australian national human papillomavirus vaccination program (NCIRS 2021), Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2024 (NCIRS 2025), and Cervical Cancer Elimination Progress Report: Australia’s progress towards the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem (NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control 2025).

To support the elimination of cervical cancer by 2030, the World Health Organization has a target for HPV vaccine coverage of 90% of girls vaccinated by age 15 years. Australia has adopted a target for HPV vaccine coverage of 90% of girls and boys vaccinated by age 15 years by the year 2030.

Table Appendix D1 shows HPV vaccine coverage for first dose and final dose (now historical) from 2012 to 2024. Final dose coverage reflects the recommended number of doses required to complete the course at that time, but we now understand that equivalent protection is provided by a single (first) dose (Brotherton 2019; Whitworth 2024). Therefore, the relevant metric to determine changes in overall protection by birth cohort over time is to compare overage with at least one dose. From 2023 only one dose of Gardasil9 was required up to the age of 25 years.

In 2024, HPV vaccine coverage was 81.1% of girls turning 15 in that year. Coverage peaked in 2020 at 86.6% with significant disruption to school immunisation programs experienced in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who were aged 12 in 2020 were aged 15 in 2023. Efforts are now required to reverse falling coverage and to restore equity in coverage post-pandemic (NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control 2023; NCIRS 2025).

† These data are now historical as a single dose provides sufficient protection (except amongst people who are immunosuppressed who require three doses). The appropriate comparison over time to assess population level protection trends is dose one coverage.

Coverage data in these tables may differ slightly from estimates published elsewhere due to differences in calculation methodologies and/or the AIR data being used in the calculation having been downloaded on different dates.

Note:

1. Coverage for 2012–2017 historical data is calculated as doses administered and reported to the HPV Register/Estimated Resident Population, expressed as a percentage.
2. Coverage for 2016–2022 ongoing data is calculated as doses administered and reported to the AIR/ number of Medicare-registered girls aged 15 years in the AIR, expressed as a percentage.
3. The difference in denominators and methodology means that the data for 2012–2017 are not directly comparable with data for 2016–2020, with historical estimates using the AIR lower than from the previous HPV register (Brotherton et al. 2022).
4. The 2019 cohort includes some girls eligible for the 2-dose schedule after the change from the 3-dose schedule in 2018; the 2020–2022 cohorts include only girls eligible for the 2-dose schedule; the 2023–2024 cohort includes girls eligible for the 1-dose schedule.
5. Year is the year in which adolescents turn 15 years of age; 15 years of age is used as the age for routine review of vaccination coverage that provides the best comparison to allow for varying ages in administration, as per World Health Organization recommendations. In Australia, most adolescents are routinely vaccinated at school at the age of 12–13 years. Measuring coverage by age 15 allows all adolescents to have had the opportunity to have been offered and completed vaccination.

Sources: Department of Health and Aged Care 2020; NCIRS 2021; NCIRS 2025; NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control 2025.

HPV vaccine coverage is also shown for the years 2020 to 2024 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls turning 15 who received at least one dose of HPV vaccine (Table Appendix D2).

HPV vaccine coverage was highest in 2020, at 87.8% for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls. HPV vaccine coverage has decreased since to 86.1% in 2021, 83.0% in 2022, 80.9% in 2023, and to 76.7% in 2024. In 2024, HPV vaccine coverage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls turning 15 who received at least one dose of HPV vaccine was lower than HPV vaccine coverage for all girls, at 76.7% compared to 81.1%.

Coverage data in these tables may differ slightly from estimates published elsewhere due to differences in calculation methodologies and/or the AIR data being used in the calculation having been downloaded on different dates.

Note: Year is the year in which adolescents turn 15 years of age; 15 years of age is used as the age for routine review of vaccination coverage that provides the best comparison to allow for varying ages in administration, as per World Health Organization recommendations.

Sources: NCIRS 2022, NCIRS 2023, NCIRS 2025; NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control 2025.

HPV vaccine coverage of boys turning 15 in 2023 was 81.8% of all boys and 75.0% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys who received at least one dose of HPV vaccine by age 15. More data on HPV vaccine coverage of boys, as well as HPV vaccine coverage for different population groups for girls and boys are available in the Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2024 (NCIRS 2025) and the Cervical Cancer Elimination Progress Report: Australia’s progress towards the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem (NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control 2025).