Yucatán Launches HPV Vaccination for Kids & Teens

Mérida, Yucatán — The Yucatán Ministry of Health (SSY) has officially launched its 2025 vaccination campaign against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), making 47,940 doses available to girls, boys, and adolescents across the state.

The initiative, carried out in coordination with the National Center for Child and Adolescent Health (Censia), is part of a national strategy for cancer prevention. The vaccine will be administered free of charge at state health units and directly in public and private primary schools.

The biological will be given as a single 0.5 ml dose via intramuscular injection in the non-dominant arm. The primary target group includes girls and boys in the 5th grade of primary school, as well as 11-year-olds who are not enrolled in the school system.

The campaign also specifically targets groups in high-risk situations. Persons aged 11 to 49 who live with HIV will receive a three-dose regimen. Girls and adolescents aged 9 to 19 who are under a care protocol following sexual assault will receive a single dose. Additionally, adolescent women aged 12 to 16 with no prior vaccination history, considered part of a lagging population, will also be immunized with a single dose.

Coordination with the Yucatán State Government's Ministry of Education (Segey) will allow for the vaccination to be carried out directly in schools, facilitating the organized execution of the vaccination drives.

These actions are part of the commitment of the Government of the Maya Renaissance to guarantee healthy environments, prevent diseases, and promote equitable access to health services for the children and adolescents of Yucatán.

The SSY urges mothers, fathers, and guardians to permit and facilitate the vaccination of their children, either at educational facilities or at the nearest health centers, as a safe and effective measure to protect them against HPV and reduce future cancer risks.