Salford pupils co-design new HPV vaccination campaign
Salford City Council’s Health Protection Team has launched a new HPV awareness campaign to help Year 8 pupils understand why the HPV vaccine is important for their long‑term health.
To encourage more young people to get vaccinated, the campaign — “Anyone can get HPV. Everyone can prevent it.” — was co-designed with Year 8 pupils, Community Youth Groups and IntraHealth, who deliver the vaccine in Salford schools. Pupils took part in a design competition, and the winning poster now leads the campaign.
Inspired by anime's vibrant character illustration style, the pupil’s concept and message capture a slice-of-life moment and highlight that HPV can affect anyone and that getting vaccinated is an important step in staying healthy. This helps ensure the message is clear, relevant, and relatable to young people.
Messages include:
- Anyone can get HPV. Everyone can prevent it. The HPV vaccine helps protect your future. Get vaccinated today.
- The HPV vaccine helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV). It is recommended for children aged 12 to 13 and for people at higher risk.
- HPV can cause cancers including throat, mouth and cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine lowers this risk. Get vaccinated today. Search ‘NHS HPV vaccine’ or scan the QR code to learn more.
Cllr John Merry, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Adult Services, Health and Wellbeing, said:
“Every young person in Salford deserves the chance to grow up healthy and well. HPV vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect them from cervical cancer and other cancers later in life. We launched this pilot because uptake among our Year 8 pupils is still too low and below the 90% needed to protect the wider community.
This work also supports NHS England’s ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, which I fully support. We are committed to raising awareness and improving access so families can make confident, informed decisions.”
What the HPV vaccine does and why it matters
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is very common. Most people will get it at some point. While many types clear on their own, some can cause serious health problems later in life. The HPV vaccine gives strong protection and is a simple way to reduce the risk of several cancers.
Salford currently has one of the lowest HPV vaccination rates in Greater Manchester. Between 2024–2025, uptake was 53% for girls and 49.3% for boys. The national target is 90% by 2040, so we have a significant gap to close.
Getting the HPV vaccine is a simple step that helps protect long term health.
How to get involved
Parents and children can scan the QR code on campaign materials to find out more and access trusted NHS information.
Pictured below: Cllr Mishal Saeed, Executive Support Member for Social Care and Mental Health, with fellow colleagues from Salford City Council Public Health, Head of Communications and IntraHealth.
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About the Cabinet member
More information about Councillor John Merry
Councillor John Merry is the Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health. He is also the Deputy City Mayor with responsibility for LGA and Key Cities.