Inaction in the face of need

Māori suffer higher morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer than non-Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand and also have lower vaccination rates of publicly funded vaccines than non-Māori. The HPV vaccine provides an exciting opportunity to prevent cervical cancers but if Māori receive this vaccination less than non-Māori cervical cancer inequalities for Māori will be further widened. This book aims to consider the HPV vaccine from an inequalities and KMR-consistent perspective and determine how the vaccine could be implemented in New Zealand to avoid increasing Māori:non-Māori inequalities in immunisation and cervical cancer. It finds that the HPV vaccine should be universally publicly funded for 11 year old girls in conjunction with additional efforts targeted at Māori to avoid immunisation and cervical cancer inequalities widening. The HPV vaccine should be delivered through a school-based programme supported by database tracking of all children on school rolls and with intensive culturally-appropriate follow-up of children who do not have consent forms returned.