Teen vaccines in Spain: HPV, meningococcal and boosters

Key rules

• Age 12: Teenagers are offered HPV and MenACWY at 12, free through the public health service.
• Boys and HPV: Boys were added to HPV vaccination from 2024, and regions are phasing in their cohorts.
• Catch-up: MenACWY catch-up runs up to 18, while HPV catch-up limits vary by region and cohort.
• Booster: A Td booster is offered at 14, and some regions use Tdap instead.

What your teenager is offered

Spain's national vaccination calendar offers three things to teenagers, free of charge through the public health service:

• HPV vaccine at 12 years old, for girls and boys.
• MenACWY vaccine at 12 years old, one dose against meningococcal disease.
• Td booster at 14 years old, against tetanus and diphtheria.

Each region runs its own programme, so start dates and details can differ. Your regional health service or health centre will tell you how it works where you live. Your child's cohort is the group of children born in the same year, and it decides when each vaccine is offered.

HPV: girls and boys

HPV vaccination is now recommended for all adolescents at 12. Girls have been vaccinated for longer. Boys were added from 2024, and regions are bringing in boys' cohorts step by step. If you have a son, ask your regional health service whether his cohort is covered yet.

For under-18s the schedule is a single dose. Some older or immunocompromised groups get two doses. Girls used to get two doses at 12, so an older daughter's record may show a different pattern.

MenACWY: replaces the old MenC dose at 12

MenACWY protects against four types of meningococcal disease. It replaced the earlier MenC dose at 12. The calendar also has an infant MenC dose, so a younger child may already have had that.

If your child missed a dose

Catch-up is free for teenagers who missed the routine age, but the age limits depend on the region.

• MenACWY: catch-up is recommended up to 18 years old. Some regions go higher, and risk groups have separate rules.
• HPV: girls generally have catch-up until about 18, and boys until a similar age in regions that have added them. Some regions extend free HPV vaccination to young adults and to risk groups, up to higher ages.

Do not wait until the last year. Ask your regional health service for the exact upper age before you plan.

The 14-year-old booster

The Td booster is given at 14. Some updated schedules use Tdap, which also covers whooping cough, so ask your health centre which one your region uses. Earlier boosters come in childhood, at 6 years.

What to do

Take your child's vaccination record, if you have one, to the health centre. Ask what is missing for their age and cohort, then book the doses. The timeline and checklist below set out the order.

Timeline and deadlines

• Get the routine HPV and MenACWY doses: at 12 years old

• Get the Td booster: at 14 years old

• Ask for MenACWY catch-up if it was missed at 12: up to 18 years old

• Ask for HPV catch-up if it was missed at 12: generally up to about 18 years old, and later in some regions

Check the current catch-up age limits with your regional health service, as they vary by region.

Checklist

• Ask your regional health service if your child's cohort is covered for HPV, especially for boys.

• Book the HPV vaccine for your child at 12 years old.

• Ask for the MenACWY catch-up if your child did not get it at 12 and is under 18.

• Ask for the HPV catch-up if your child missed it, and confirm the upper age limit in your region.

• Book the Td booster at 14 years old and ask whether your region uses Td or Tdap.

Frequently asked questions

Do boys get the HPV vaccine in Spain too?

Yes, boys are offered the HPV vaccine at 12 as well as girls, but regions are phasing in the boys' cohorts, so start dates differ.

How many HPV doses does a teenager need?

A teenager under 18 gets a single HPV dose.

What if my teenager missed the meningococcal vaccine at 12?

Your teenager can still get one MenACWY catch-up dose up to 18 years old. Some regions extend this to young adults, so ask the regional health service for the exact upper age.

Which booster do 14-year-olds get?

A 14-year-old gets a Td booster, which protects against tetanus and diphtheria. Some regions use Tdap instead, so ask which one your clinic gives.