Bali's school HPV programme reaches 76.26% of eligible boys

In brief: Bali had vaccinated 76.26% of the boys targeted by its school HPV programme as of 21 September 2026. Grade 5 boys were added to the programme this year, with local health teams expected to continue follow-up vaccinations in October.

The figures, reported by public broadcaster RRI on 3 October, are a progress update for a specific school-age cohort. They should not be confused with vaccination coverage among all children living in Bali, or with an assurance that every school offers the same access.

September figures show similar uptake among boys and girls

Provincial health officials set a target of 29,818 Grade 5 boys for the 2026 campaign. Of that group, 76.26% had received an HPV vaccination by 21 September, according to Bali health department official I Gusti Ayu Raka Susanti.

The existing programme for Grade 5 girls recorded 76.29% coverage across a target population of 28,573. These percentages measure programme uptake at a particular date. They do not measure vaccine effectiveness, and the province-wide figures leave open differences in delivery between individual schools and districts.

Bali is among three regions introducing vaccination for boys

Indonesia's school-based HPV effort had previously focused on girls. In August 2026, the programme was extended to Grade 5 boys in three selected provinces: Bali, Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Bali's provincial health department confirmed the expansion before the school campaign began.

HPV can cause disease in males as well as females, including certain cancers associated with the virus. Offering vaccination to boys extends the public-health programme beyond its earlier focus on cervical cancer prevention. Schools are working with local public health centres, known as *puskesmas*, to deliver the vaccinations. Provincial officials have described the programme as free for its eligible participants.

Missed school appointments are being followed up in October

The campaign operates through scheduled visits to schools. Children who were absent or unable to receive their vaccination on the planned day can be reached through additional work by puskesmas teams. Officials told RRI that these follow-up efforts would continue into October 2026; the September coverage figures are therefore not a final year-end result.

Parents of Grade 5 pupils can ask their school whether its vaccination session has taken place and how missed appointments are being handled. For families arriving from overseas, a key eligibility question remains unanswered in the published notices: they do not specify the arrangements for foreign-national children or for pupils at a particular international school. Schools and local health centres are the appropriate places to establish whether a child is included, which documents are needed and whether any charges apply to their circumstances.

• ANTARA, “Dinkes: Bali awali imunisasi HPV gratis bagi anak laki-laki” — 16 August 2026.
• Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), “Imunisasi HPV Anak Laki-Laki Diperluas, Capaian Bali Sebesar 76 Persen” — 3 October 2026 (figures as of 21 September).