Boys in line to get HPV vaccination

Vaccine to protect males against mouth and throat disease after new advice by government committee

Boys are likely to be given the HPV jab after an influential government committee called for a “gender neutral” vaccination policy. The HPV vaccine is offered free to all girls aged 12 to 18. However, there have been growing demands to also make it available to males. Experts say it would increase protection against cervical cancer in girls through “herd immunity”, but also protect against mouth and throat cancers in both sexes.

A JAB which guards mainly against cervical cancer is likely to be given to boys after an influential government committee called for a “gender neutral” vaccination policy.

The HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine is offered free to all girls aged 12 to 18. However, there have been growing demands to also make it available to males.

Experts believe doing so would both increase protection against cervical cancer in girls through “herd immunity”, but also protect against mouth and throat cancers in both sexes.

Yesterday, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises the Department of Health, formally recommended that the HPV injection should be offered to all teenagers.

A spokesman said: “If considering a cost-effectiveness analysis where a combined girls’ and boys’ programme is compared to no vaccination, genderneutral HPV vaccination is highly likely to be cost-effective.”

The announcement follows an apparent U-turn by the committee, whose interim report last year indicated that the vaccine would not be recommended for boys.

The Government was last night being urged to adopt the policy quickly. However, officials said it would consider the advice before making any announcement.

Peter Baker, director of campaign group HPV Action, said: “The JCVI’S advice that boys should be vaccinated is very welcome news for boys and their parents.

“We have waited a very long time for this announcement, and it is now imperative that ministers accept the JCVI’S advice without delay so that no more boys are left at risk.”

Mr Baker said the gender-neutral vaccination programme could begin in September 2019. Countries such as Australia are already vaccinating boys.

HPV is most commonly associated with causing cervical cancer, but can cause mouth and throat cancer and genital warts.

Public awareness of the danger it poses to men has increased in recent years, partly as a result of the actor Michael Douglas revealing in 2013 that his throat cancer was caused by HPV transmitted through oral sex.

Prof Helen Stokes-lampard, chairman of the Royal College of GPS, said: “The HPV vaccine has proven extremely effective in protecting women against cervical cancer, and we now have strong evidence to demonstrate that the vaccine also provides protection against a number of other serious cancers which affect both men and women, including head and neck cancer and anal cancer.”

“It has been frustrating that this effective vaccine has, until now, only been available on the NHS to girls but not boys. We hope parents will take up this important opportunity to get their sons and daughters vaccinated as soon as it is available to them.”

‘We hope parents will take up this important opportunity to get their sons and daughters vaccinated as soon as it is available to them’