The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Health will incorporate a nine-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into its national vaccination program on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. This updated vaccine offers protection against nine types of HPV (6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58), significantly expanding preventative coverage against the virus.
The launch will take place at the Dr. José Manuel Rodríguez Jiménez Children’s Hospital, formerly known as Santo Socorro. The vaccine will be administered to boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 14, with the goal of strengthening prevention efforts against diseases associated with HPV. HPV vaccination is a key public health strategy for reducing the incidence of HPV-related cancers and other health issues.
The nine-valent vaccine is designed to protect against the majority of cervical cancers. The vaccination schedule will now consist of a single dose, except for children and adolescents who are immunocompromised, who may require two doses.
Vaccinations will be available free of charge through the country’s 40 Provincial Health Directorates and more than 1,400 local vaccination centers nationwide.
Previously, the national vaccination program included a tetravalent vaccine, which protected against HPV types 16 and 18 – the two main types responsible for most cases of cervical cancer, the second most frequent cause of cancer among women in the Dominican Republic. The novel vaccine maintains protection against these types and expands coverage to include five additional types of the virus, contributing to a broader approach to cancer prevention.
