12 to 13 year old boys in England to receive HPV jab

Since 2008, 11 to 13 year old girls in the UK have been vaccinated against the human papilloma virus (HPV). Now, to meet recommendations made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, 12 to 13 year old boys in England will become part of the programme to protect them from oral, throat, penile and anal cancer.
Public health minister Steve Brine, said: “Any vaccination programme must be firmly grounded in evidence to ensure that we can get the best outcomes for patients, but as a father to a son, I understand the relief that this will bring to parents. We are committed to leading a world-class vaccination programme and achieving some of the best cancer outcomes in the world – I am confident these measures today will bring us one step further to achieving this goal.”
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisations at Public Health England, said: “This extended programme offers us the opportunity to make HPV-related diseases a thing of the past and build on the success of the girls’ programme, which has already reduced the prevalence of HPV 16 and 18, the main cancer-causing types, by over 80 percent.”