BDA supports campaign for gender-neutral HPV vaccinations

The British Dental Association has backed a new campaign that seeks to ensure that boys are vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV).

HPV Action, an advocacy group dedicated to pressing the case for gender-neutral HPV vaccination, launched a case for action report at a parliamentary meeting in the House of Commons last week. 

This was supported by a statement from 100 experts in the field, including the BDA's president Nairn Wilson and its health and science adviser Professor Damien Walmsley.

HPV Action argues that it is unethical, discriminatory and counterproductive to public health to exclude boys from the HPV vaccination programme. The BDA has vocally backed this view, as it believes widespread vaccination would improve oral health.

However, the Department of Health has said a decision will not be made on this until 2017, and that any proposed implementation would be unlikely before 2020.

In the meantime, 400,000 boys each year will be unvaccinated, and the BDA points out that they will be at risk of HPV-related diseases including mouth cancer.