SVG hopes to vaccinate 90% of girls against HPV by age 15 by 2030

The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines says it hopes to vaccinate 90% of the nation’s girls aged 15 and under against the human papillomavirus (HPV) by 2030.

Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, Jimmy Prince, said that the government will use persuasion, adding that the vaccine has been proven effective against HPV, which causes cervical cancer.

He, however, said many parents are pushing back against the vaccine, saying that it encourages young girls to engage in sexual activity. The minister, however, said there is no evidence to support this. 

Prince was speaking in Parliament in response to opposition Senator Shevern John, who noted that HPV is a well-established cause of cervical cancer worldwide. 

She asked Prince to state the prevalence of HPV in SVG, the age group that was targeted for HPV vaccination and why, and to give an update on the progress of the vaccination over the last two years.

The health minister told Parliament that 17 women in SVG were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2024, an 88.9% increase over cases diagnosed in 2023, when nine cases were recorded. 

In each of the years 2020 and 2021, eight women were diagnosed with cervical cancer and 11 cases were recorded in 2022.

44 women died of cervical cancer between 2020 and 2024

“The five-year prevalence of cervical cancer in St. Vincent and the Grenadines from 2020 to 2024 is 14.7 per 10,000 Vincentian women,” Prince said.

During that same period, 44 women died of cervical cancer. In 2020, six women died,three in 2021, nine in 2022, 11 in 2023, and 15 in 2025.

“So this is a very important disease in all the circumstances,” the health minister told lawmakers.

He said his ministry is committed to empowering all women in SVG and their families to live as free as possible of this scourge of cervical cancer through strong, preventative, early detection and curative palliative initiatives.

“Through the implementation of our cervical cancer elimination programme, … we intend to ensure that by 2030, 90% of girls are immunised against HPV infection by age 15,” Prince said.

He told Parliament that years and years of research and real-world evidence support the effectiveness of immunising girls and boys at a very early age against HPV infection. 

“The recommended age is between nine years and 13 years, early enough so that it is before any exposure through close contact, including sexual contact, so as to reduce the likelihood of being infected by the HPV virus.”

Prince said that in 2015, the Ministry of Health joined with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to conduct an HPV prevalence of high-risk types in women 30 years of age and older, in SVG and St. Kitts and Nevis.

“Their study revealed that 30% of the participants were determined to have high-risk HPV and therefore at greater risk for cervical cancer between 30 and 65 years old, which is extremely high for our population,” Prince said. 

He said the ministry responded to this study by introducing the HPV vaccine and promoting pap smears in postnatal clinics. 

“Unfortunately, the HPV vaccine was met with significant negative forces, which severely reduced its uptake. In addition to that, we have a vaccine hesitancy problem in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and exacerbated since the pandemic.”

He said the ministry, however, remains committed and has redoubled efforts to increase awareness about cervical cancer and the preventative role of the readily available HPV vaccine to provide screening services, including HPV testing to commence by October 2025 and to increase treatment options, both locally and in CARICOM neighbours.

Prince pointed out that HPV is transmitted through sexual contact and, therefore, the vaccine is most effective when administered before individuals are exposed to the virus, typically before the onset of sexual activity. 

“PAHO affirms, ‘HPV. Vaccines are most effective when administered before individuals become sexually active and are exposed to the virus.  The recommended target group for routine vaccination is girls aged 9 to 14 years, that’s prior to the sexual debut, children aged 9 to 13 mount a stronger immune response to the vaccine, offering longer-lasting protection.’

‘pushback from parents and from other members of the society’

Prince said the recommended age for vaccination was part of the problem that his ministry faces.  “… getting the pushback from parents and from other members of the society”.

He said the World Health Organisation and PAHO recommend a two-dose regimen for the age group, which has been proven highly effective, hence the inclusion of the HPV vaccine as a routine vaccine on the ministry’s schedule.

“Despite our efforts in education and awareness, parental concerns remain at an all-time high. A persistent barrier to vaccine uptake is the concern among some parents that vaccinating girls, in particular at an early age may be perceived as encouraging sexual activity or indicating that a child is already sexually active.

“However, scientific evidence strongly refutes this claim. PAHO states, ‘There is no evidence that HPV vaccination is associated with increased sexual activity or early initiation of sexual behaviour. The vaccine is a preventative measure, not a signal of readiness for sexual activity.’” 

He said that delaying the vaccine until after sexual initiation greatly reduces the effectiveness, as HPV is often acquired soon after sexual debut. 

“Vaccination at the recommended age protects children before they are at risk.”

The minister said that as of  2024, 8% of males and females aged 9 to 14 in SVG were vaccinated against HPV. 

“As I refer back to what I said about vaccine hesitancy in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the sensitivity surrounding this whole thing,” he said, adding that the vaccine is available in the public health system and given on demand. 

“And I emphasise that because we do not go around the country forcing people to take this vaccine,” he said, adding that, more recently, healthcare teams have been engaging parents, teachers, children, and the churches to remind and then we engage on the importance of the HPV vaccine. 

“We have seen a significant increase in the uptake of the HPV vaccine, and will continue to work with individuals to protect our population,” the minister said. 

Responding to a supplementary question from John, Prince said there is no mass education drive to promote the HPV vaccine.

“… but there was education in the clinics,  in the health centres and schools, but since we talked about it with PAHO, we have been trying to intensify it because we now have on hand the vaccine,” he said.