Hamilton Public Health asks doctors to encourage HPV vaccination among Grade 7 to 12 students

What the City issued

On October 9, 2026, the City of Hamilton published a medical advisory from Hamilton Public Health, titled HPV Prevention, addressed to health care providers. It notes that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Prevention Week runs each year from October 1 to 7, and asks providers to keep raising awareness of HPV and to encourage uptake of the HPV vaccine among Hamilton students in Grades 7 to 12.

The advisory asks providers to discuss and promote HPV vaccination with students when the opportunity arises, and to offer the vaccine in their own clinics to those who want it. Providers can order the vaccine from Hamilton Public Health using the City's School Vaccines Order Form.

Who is eligible

• Students in Ontario, from September 1 of Grade 7 until August 31 of their Grade 12 year, receive the vaccine free under the province's publicly funded program, according to the advisory.
• People who meet high-risk criteria are also eligible for the publicly funded vaccine; the advisory gives men who have sex with men up to age 26 as an example.

Where to get it

Most students in Hamilton will be offered the HPV vaccine by a Public Health Nurse at school-based immunization clinics, the City says. Students who do not receive it at school can get it from their health care provider. Hamilton Public Health vaccine and sexual health clinics serve eligible people who face barriers to getting vaccinated elsewhere.