Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the levels of in HPV vaccine uptake among adolescent boys over the last three years; and what steps she is taking to address regional variations
Answer
I refer the Hon. Member to vaccination coverage statistics for human papillomavirus (HPV) for males and females, available at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake Alongside NHS England, the UK Health Security Agency and the Department for Education, we are working to improve HPV vaccination rates for both males and females, including making it easier for parents to consent for school vaccinations; revising health education guidance in school to improve awareness of vaccination amongst both male and female students; and expanding our national vaccination communications campaign specifically to target young adults who missed routine adolescent vaccinations at school.
Verdict: RED (22/100)
The reply points the Member to published HPV coverage statistics for boys and girls, but does not describe how boys' uptake has changed over the last three years, so the trend part of the question is largely unanswered. It sets out national measures to improve vaccination rates for both sexes, but none addresses regional variation in boys' uptake, which was the specific focus of the question. Overall, the reply is only partly responsive and mostly general, so the asker would likely need to follow up for the trend and regional detail.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the department's assessment or view of trends in HPV vaccine uptake among adolescent boys over the last three years? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply only refers the Member to published HPV coverage statistics for males and females and gives no assessment of how boys' uptake has trended over the last three years. Pointing to the data is related to the item, but it does not supply the requested view or trend description. |
| What is the department doing about regional variations in HPV vaccine uptake among adolescent boys? | Partially Addressed | Generic | The reply describes concrete national actions to improve HPV vaccination rates for both sexes (easier school consent, revised health education, a targeted communications campaign), but none of them addresses regional variation in boys' uptake. The answer covers the general topic of boys' uptake rather than the regional dimension the question asks about. |