Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Primary Health Care Corporation, has announced the inclusion of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the National School Vaccination Campaign, with the aim of ensuring early primary prevention against high-risk types of the virus and reducing the future health burden associated with diseases and cancerous tumours.
The Ministry held a press conference on Sunday to present details of the campaign, its objectives, implementation mechanisms and various phases, noting that the campaign covers 301 government and private schools and targets students in Grades 8, 9 and 10, totalling more than 75,000 male and female students. The first phase will begin on September 20 and continue until November 18, 2026, while the second phase will be implemented from April 25 to May 16, 2027.
Taking part in the press conference were Dr Hamad Eid Al Rumaihi, Director of the Health Protection and Communicable Diseases Control Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Issa Ali Alansari, Health and Safety Consultant, Department of Health and Safety at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and Dr Layla Abdulla Aldahnaim, Manager of School Health Program and Services at PHCC and Community Medicine Consultant.
The inclusion of the vaccine in the National Immunisation Programme represents an important preventive step to protect students' health and strengthen community immunity, amid cooperation and coordination among the relevant authorities in the health and education sectors to ensure that the campaign is implemented in accordance with the highest health and organisational standards.
The Ministry of Public Health confirmed that the vaccine is licensed and approved by the World Health Organization and the US Food and Drug Administration, and that hundreds of millions of doses have been administered worldwide in accordance with the highest safety standards. It noted that the vaccine's efficacy exceeds 90 per cent and that its administration at an early age, from 11 to 14 years, produces the highest immune response compared with older age groups. Common side effects are limited to mild local symptoms at the injection site, a low-grade fever, fatigue or a mild headache, which resolve within 24 to 48 hours.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education is participating in the implementation of the National School Vaccination Campaign through direct coordination with schools and by providing a suitable environment for school health teams to administer the vaccinations in accordance with the approved plan. The Ministry also supports awareness-raising and educational efforts aimed at parents and students, thereby raising health awareness and ensuring that the campaign is implemented efficiently and effectively across the targeted schools.
According to the campaign implementation schedule, the first phase includes administering the first dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to Grade 9 students in government and private schools, along with the booster dose of the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine to Grade 10 students in government schools, for the last time this year.
The second phase includes administering the first dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine to Grade 8 students in government and private schools, the second dose to Grade 9 students in government and private schools, and the booster dose of the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine to Grade 9 students in government and private schools.
Vaccination is optional and subject to prior consent from the parent or guardian, obtained using a designated form accompanied by an awareness leaflet. The vaccine will be administered to a student only after the parent or guardian has signed the consent form.
Students will be vaccinated in school health rooms (designated clinics and equipped areas within schools) in accordance with the approved health regulations. Implementation will cover all government, private, international and community schools and will not extend to any other institutions outside the scope of schools and age groups.
The Ministry of Public Health and its partners emphasise the importance of families' role in reading the awareness leaflet and completing the consent form to protect their children's health.
