California HPV Vaccine Week
August 2-8, 2026
California HPV Vaccine Week is an annual observance led by the California HPV Vaccination Roundtable during the first full week of August. The goal of this campaign is to increase awareness of the HPV vaccine as cancer prevention, and to promote the vaccination of kids ages 9-12. This week brings together health organizations, providers, parents, cancer survivors, families, advocates, and community members to share one important message: HPV vaccination prevents 6 types of cancer.
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Our Why
HPV Vaccination is Cancer Prevention
HPV is a common virus
8 out of 10 people will get it at some point in their lives. Most HPV infections clear on their own, but some can remain and go on to cause cancers later in life. HPV causes nearly 40,000 cancers in the US every year.
The HPV vaccine is cancer prevention
The vaccine is safe, effective, and long-lasting and prevents 90% of HPV-related cancers later in life when given at the recommended ages.
Timing matters
HPV vaccination works best when all children get it between ages 9 and 12 years. This gives them the best protection against HPV cancers.
Call To Action
Help us spread the word!
This campaign is nothing without the support of our partners! During CA HPV Vaccine Week (August 2-8, 2026), we encourage you to share information with your community and help raise awareness about HPV vaccination as cancer prevention. We’ve compiled ready-to-use materials from partners and members of the California HPV Vaccination Roundtable. Here’s how both individuals and organizations can help us:
Share
Share our ready-to-use newsletter content and social media posts with your audiences and networks.
Create
Create your own social media content, whether that be videos or graphics, using our key campaign messages (see more information about messaging and sharing your story below).
Promote
Promote the awareness week across your networks and with your partners. The more voices we have, the greater our impact.
Tip: Healthcare organizations can spotlight a provider champion to help amplify this important message. Don't forget to tag @CAHPVRoundtable in your posts!
Whether you do a little or a lot, your efforts make a difference in protecting the next generation from cancer. If you have questions, please reach out to info@cahpvroundtable.org.
Share Your Story
We invite HPV cancer survivors, parents, community members, healthcare professionals, and advocates to share their stories.
To participate:
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Record a short video on your own about the importance of HPV vaccination as cancer prevention
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Post it during CA HPV Vaccine Week (August 2-8, 2026) to your personal and/or organization’s social media channels
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Tag @CAHPVRoundtable on Instagram and Facebook
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Use #CAHPVVaxWeek and #CaliforniaHPVFree in your social media captions
Key Talking Points
HPV Vaccination is Cancer Prevention
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HPV causes 6 types of cancer.
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HPV leads to more than 40,000 cancer cases in the U.S. each year, including cancers of the throat, cervix, anus, vulva, penis, and vagina.
HPV is Common. Cancer Does Not Have to Be.
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The HPV vaccine helps protect children from 6 types of cancer later in life. It is safe, effective, and works best when given on time.
HPV is Preventable. We have the Power to Prevent Cancer.
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The HPV vaccine is one of the most powerful tools we have to protect the next generation from cancer.
Vaccination + Screening = Better Protection
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A lifetime of protection starts early.
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The HPV vaccine can prevent more than 90% of HPV cancers when given at the recommended ages of 9-12.
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Start at age 9.
Calls to Action for Your Message
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Talk to a healthcare provider about HPV vaccination.
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Stay up to date on recommended screenings.
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Share prevention messages with your community.
Tone Guidance
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Clear, confident, and science-based
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Hopeful, not alarmist
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Collective and action-oriented
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Accessible to a general audience
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Make it personal; share your why
Newsletter Content
Subject: Start Early and Protect Your Child from HPV Cancers
You can take an important step to help protect your child from cancer, starting sooner than you may think. At your child’s next checkup, ask your healthcare provider about the HPV vaccine. You're not alone in choosing cancer prevention. More than 75% of U.S. teens have already received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine.
The HPV vaccine has been safely protecting children and preventing HPV-related cancers for nearly 20 years. Starting the HPV vaccine series at age 9 helps ensure your child completes the recommended two-dose series by age 12, when the vaccine provides the strongest and most effective protection.
Leading healthcare organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the California Department of Public Health, and the American Cancer Society, recommend HPV vaccination for children ages 9–12. Getting vaccinated on time provides the best protection against HPV-related cancers and can help prevent 6 types of cancer later in life. Learn more here: Don’t Wait to Vaccinate.
Act now. Ask about HPV vaccination at your child's next healthcare visit and take an important step toward cancer prevention.
Social Media
Remember to use hashtags #CAHPVVaxWeek and #CaliforniaHPVFree and tag @CAHPVRoundtable when sharing social media posts.
Want more options of ready-to-use content to promote HPV vaccination? Check out these other social media toolkits: American Cancer Society HPV Vaccination Social Media Toolkit (English and Spanish), Power to Prevent Cancer - National HPV Vaccination Roundtable, and HPV Awareness Campaign - Cancer Control TAP.
Testimonial - Ada and Angelina
Caption
Some conversations aren't easy to begin.
Sometimes all it takes is one person willing to say, "It's okay to talk about this."
Ada and her daughter, Angelina, remind us that conversations about cancer prevention don't always come easily—but they're worth having.
Learn how HPV vaccination can help protect against 6 HPV-related cancers.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Testimonial - Ada (English and Spanish)
Caption
Cancer changed the way Ada thought about protecting her daughters. Then it changed the way she thought about protecting every child.
Some conversations are bigger than our own families.
Learn how HPV vaccination can help protect against 6 HPV-related cancers.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Testimonial - Mary Jo and Lillie
Caption
“After my cancer diagnosis, protecting the next generation became very important to me." — Mary Jo
Mary Jo and her granddaughter, Lillie, remind us that protecting future generations is one of the most meaningful ways we care for the people we love.
Learn how HPV vaccination can help protect against 6 HPV-related cancers.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Testimonial - Kim
Caption
"Learning more changed the way I thought about the HPV vaccine." — Kim
Kim's story is a reminder that every parent makes decisions with the information they have at the time. Sometimes learning more changes the path forward.
Learn how HPV vaccination can help protect against 6 HPV-related cancers.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Testimonial - David
Caption
"The hardest part was not knowing." — David
Cancer changes what families carry, what they fear, and what they hope for.
David's experience reminds us why preventing HPV-related cancers matters to the people who love us most.
Cancer affects families. Prevention can too.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Testimonial - Jason
Caption
The stories we've shared this week are deeply personal. But they also reflect a much bigger public health reality.
HPV is incredibly common. Today, HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer is the most common HPV-associated cancer in the United States.
The good news is that we have an opportunity to help prevent many HPV-related cancers through vaccination.
Jason shares his story—and some of the stats behind it—with the hope that other families never have to experience what his family did.
Learn how HPV vaccination can help protect against 6
HPV-related cancers.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Testimonial - Dr. Gina Johnson
Caption
Listen to Dr. Gina Johnson from Northeast Valley Health Corporation share about the importance of HPV vaccination for your children.
The HPV vaccine protects your child’s future by preventing 6 types of cancers later in life.
Learn more: cancer.org/hpv
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Social Graphic - Testimonials
Caption
Every survivor who shared their story this week did so for a reason.
Not to look back. To help protect the next generation. Because a future with fewer cancer stories starts with prevention.
The HPV vaccine helps protect against 6 HPV-related cancers and works best when given at ages 9–12.
Talk with your child's healthcare provider today about HPV vaccination.
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Social Graphic - 20 Year Anniversary
Caption
Some advances change what's possible for the next generation.
Twenty years ago, the HPV vaccine became one of those advances.
Today, families have an opportunity that previous generations never had—to help protect against 6 HPV-related cancers.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv.
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Social Graphic - Coming Soon
Caption
CA HPV Vaccine Week is almost here.
This August, organizations across California will come together to share trusted information, stories, and resources about HPV cancer prevention.
Join us August 2-8 as we highlight the importance of HPV vaccination as cancer prevention and encourage conversations with trusted healthcare professionals about HPV cancer prevention.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Social Graphic - Power to Prevent
Caption
HPV is common, and in some cases, it can lead to cancer. The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that cause most of these cancers. HPV vaccination is for cancer prevention.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention #PowerToPreventCancer
Download:
Social Graphic (5 graphics) - CDPH
Caption
Calling all young heroes! 🛡️💉 It's time to suit up and protect your future!
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is a sneaky villain that can cause cancer later in life, but YOU have the power to stop it. 💥️ Your Superpower?
The HPV vaccine!
💉 Just 2 shots = lifelong protection.
🧠 Works best between ages 9-12.
✅ Safe. Proven. Powerful.
Be the hero of your own story. Talk to your parent or doctor today and get vaccinated. Your future self will thank you.
💪 Schedule an appointment at https://myturn.ca.gov/
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Social Graphic - Trusted Messengers
Caption
Every day, nurses, physicians, health educators, care managers, community health workers, and other healthcare professionals help families navigate questions, concerns, and decisions about their health.
Their role isn't to make decisions for families. It's to create space for questions, provide trusted information, and support informed decision-making. Learn more about how HPV vaccination is cancer prevention.
During CA HPV Vaccine Week, we recognize and thank the healthcare professionals helping families navigate the path forward.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv.
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
#TrustedMessengers
Download:
Social Graphic - Making Sense of it All
Caption
We get it.
Parents today are sorting through more information than ever before — and not all of it points in the same direction.
When it comes to the HPV vaccine, here are a few facts worth knowing:
✔️ HPV vaccination works best when given at ages 9-12, before exposure to the virus.
✔️ The HPV vaccine helps protect against 6 types of HPV-related cancers.
✔️ More than 500 million doses have been administered worldwide.
✔️ The vaccine has been monitored for safety for nearly 20 years.
The goal isn't to tell you what to think. It's to make sure you have access to reliable information as you make decisions for your family.
Start here: cancer.org/hpv.
#CAHPVVaxWeek #CaliforniaHPVFree #CancerPrevention
Download:
Social Graphic - Back to School Checklist
Caption
Parents: Ask for the #HPVvaccine at your child’s back-to-school doctor visit. The HPV vaccine is most effective when given to all children 9-12-years-old.
Learn more: cancer.org/hpv
#CaliforniaHPVFree #CAHPVVaxWeek
Download:
Social Graphic - CA HPV Vaccine Week (Spanish and Vietnamese)
Caption
Spanish:
¡Es la Semana de la Vacuna contra el VPH en California! La pandemia provocó que muchas familias cancelaran las visitas al médico. Ahora es el momento de que los padres se aseguren que sus hijos tengan las vacunas recomendadas, incluyendo la vacuna contra el VPH. ¡Llame a un pediatra para programar una cita hoy!
#CaliforniaHPVFree #CAHPVVaxWeek
Vietnamese:
Tuần lễ tiêm chủng HPV ở California! Đại dịch khiến nhiều gia đình phải hủy bỏ các buổi khám bệnh. Bây giờ là thời điểm để các cha mẹ bắt đầu cho con mình tiêm các loại vắc xin đượckhuyến cáo, bao gồm cả vắc xin HPV. Gọi cho bác sĩ nhi khoa của bạn để đặt lịch hẹn ngay hôm nay!
#CaliforniaHPVFree #CAHPVVaxWeek
Special thanks to the following individuals who were instrumental to the development of this year's CA HPV Vaccine Week Campaign:
Margaux Stack-Babich, MPH
CA HPV Vaccination Roundtable Parent Workgroup Lead & Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
Paula Mattison
Director of Regional Integrated Marketing, American Cancer Society
Bridget Freeley & Raquel Arias
Associate Directors of State Partnerships, American Cancer Society, CA HPV Vaccination Roundtable Coordinators
Kim Wodstrchill, MPH, CHES
CA HPV Vaccination Roundtable Social Media Lead & Outreach Coordinator, School Vaccine Team, California Department of Public Health
Maritza Gomez
Community Health Liaison, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
Shauntay Davis & Joyce Ceja
California Dialogue on Cancer
Jane Grey, MPH
Adolescent Immunization Coordinator and Health Educator
California Department of Public Health, Immunization Branch