Having the immunisation

The vaccine is available free for girls and young women born on or after 1 January 1990.

Young women born in 1990 or 1991 have until 31 December 2011 to start the immunisation programme. If they haven't received the first of the three doses by this date they cannot start the programme.

Girls and young women born from 1992 onwards have until their 20^th birthday to start the immunisation programme. If they haven't received the first of the three doses by this date they cannot start the programme.

The HPV vaccine has been added to New Zealand’s National Immunisation Schedule for girls in school year 8 (or age 12 if not delivered at school).  This means it will be available to girls in school year 8 every year through participating schools . 

Older girls may also be able to have the vaccine through participating schools this year. 2010 is the last year of the school-based catch-up programme for girls in year 9 upwards.

Most district health boards are offering school-based HPV immunisation programmes, except for Canterbury where the HPV immunisation is only available through primary care.

The vaccine is available from family doctors, local health clinics and some Family Planning clinics for girls and young women who are no longer at school, who do not attend a participating school or who do not want to have it at school.

If the HPV immunisation is available through your school, a consent form or letter will come home from school.

The HPV immunisation will only be given at school if the consent form is completed, signed and returned to school.

In order to receive the HPV vaccine at school, girls under 16 years old are required to return a consent form signed by their parent, legal guardian or main caregiver.

Young women who are aged 16 years old and over can give their own consent, but still need to sign and return the consent form.

Participating schools may provide the district health board or public health nurse with specific information about their female students (such as names, addresses, dates of birth, ethnicity and room numbers) to help with the administration of the HPV immunisation programme.

Schools must notify parents of their intention to share this information before doing so.

Information from the consent form and details of each immunisation given or declined will be recorded on the School-Based Vaccination System (or another system held by your district health board) and some of it will be passed to the National Immunisation Register.

You can choose not to have immunisations recorded on the National Immunisation Register. The consent form includes an option to opt off the National Immunisation Register.

For more information about the use of information, privacy and data sharing, click here to download our fact sheet (PDF, 123KB).

The HPV immunisation is available from family doctors, health clinics and some Family Planning clinics.

Young women can get the HPV vaccine without parental consent via their family doctor, health clinic or other health provider as long as the health professional giving the immunisation is sure they fully understand all the risks and benefits.

Non-resident girls under 16 years of age who will be in New Zealand for eight months or more (to ensure there is time for them to receive all three doses) may receive the free HPV vaccine.

If non-resident girls have not received dose one by their 16^th birthday they cannot start the programme.

Non-resident girls 16 years and over are not eligible for the free HPV vaccine.

If you’re not eligible for the publicly funded programme, you may be able to purchase the vaccine from your family doctor or local health clinic.

Your family doctor or local health clinic can advise about costs and whether the vaccine is clinically appropriate for you.