Boys should get cervical cancer jab too, say experts

Published on Sunday 12 April 2009 22:06

BOYS as well as girls should be immunised against the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer, medical experts say.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland and charity Cancer Research UK have all said the immunisation programme against human papilloma virus (HPV) should be extended to boys.

However, the Scottish Government is currently refusing to back an extension of the vaccination programme to boys, saying it would not be cost effective.

Henry Annan, a spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "Scientifically it makes sense that if you want to vaccinate young girls then boys should also be vaccinated, otherwise it's a bit defeatist, because they will still have HPV."

Ellen Hudson, associate director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said: "Eradication of cervical cancer should be our goal, and to achieve this the vaccination programme should be extended to boys."

Sarah Woolnough, head of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: "Vaccinating boys against HPV could be helpful in achieving population-wide immunity."

However, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The priority for HPV immunisation is directly to protect girls against their future risk of cervical cancer. The question of whether to immunise boys against HPV was considered by the UK Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation.

"The JCVI did not consider immunising boys to be a cost-effective way to prevent cervical cancer in girls."