Significant demand recorded for HPV vaccine since 2017 – Health Ministry

The Health Ministry has reported a remarkable increase in demand for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine since 2017, as more parents across the country actively seek to have their children vaccinated in line with national public health goals.
This development was highlighted by Oneka Scott, Maternal & Child Health Officer and Immunisation Manager at the Health Ministry, during an appearance on the ‘Health Matters’ programme.
“A different growth than what we found when we first reintroduced the vaccine in 2017 is now emerging,” said Scott. “We’re finding that there is a subset of the population—especially parents of children in private schools—who are demanding the vaccines. We also see increased demand from parents who are health workers, particularly for older adolescent boys and girls.”
According to Scott, the increased uptake is the result of targeted interventions and nationwide awareness campaigns spearheaded by the Ministry.
“Our primary target group is children up to 16 years old. However, we also extend the opportunity to be vaccinated to individuals aged 16 to 45. During pregnancy, we hold off on administering the HPV vaccine. For now, we are focusing mostly on those in the core target group,” she explained.
“This vaccine can be administered at any health centre across Guyana. In addition, there are some private institutions that are on board to provide the vaccine free of cost to anyone eligible within the designated age group. We are also currently conducting outreaches throughout Guyana.”
Scott noted that, while the increase in demand is encouraging, Guyana still needs to improve its public education efforts around HPV compared to other countries.
“There’s a lot more work needed in terms of education. Unfortunately, prevailing myths—especially from North America—such as claims about infertility, still exist in our society, even though those myths have been thoroughly debunked in North America and Europe,” she said. “We’ve seen all the strides made with the HPV vaccine in Europe, but sadly, misinformation still persists here. So we spend a lot of time on damage control and public education.”
Amid the rising demand, Scott expressed concern about maintaining an adequate supply of the vaccine, emphasising that procurement and delivery involve a lengthy timeline.
“Our current fear is ensuring we have enough vaccines in the country to meet the demand. The HPV vaccine has a longer procurement process than most of our other vaccines—about three months from order to arrival in Guyana,” she said.
As part of its ongoing national HPV vaccination effort, the Ministry will begin administering the vaccine starting at age nine, targeting children in primary schools. The core focus remains on individuals up to 16 years old, with extended eligibility for those aged 16 to 45.