BDA launches social campaign calling for HPV vaccine expansion

The British Dental Association (BDA) has launched a new online campaign to drum up support for its fight for gender-neutral vaccinations against human papillomavirus (HPV).

Dentists are being asked to support the campaign, launched by HPV Action through the social platform Thunderclap, which enables campaigners to rally people together to send a common message on social media.

The BDA is one of 44 organisations supporting the HPV Action coalition, which seeks to lobby the government to expand the current UK vaccination programme for girls to include all adolescent boys as well.

HPV is known as a cause of numerous diseases, including oral cancer. Currently, it is estimated that the virus is the cause of five percent of all cancer cases.

Russ Ladwa, chair of the BDA's health and science committee, said: "HPV is the cause of five percent of all cancers. It's vital health professionals speak with one voice on this life and death issue."

The Thunderclap campaign has been launched to coincide with European Immunization Week, which runs from April 24th to 30th.