Dental associations urge government to extend the HPV vaccine to Boys

The British Dental Association, The faculty of General Dental Practice and the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons have written to the department of Health and Social Care urging for the HPV vaccine to be extended to boys.
Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) is linked to around 20 cancers including ones that affect the mouth and throat. The vaccine is only currently available to girls in the UK, leaving thousands of boys unprotected each year.
Mick Armstrong, chair of the British Dental Association, comments “HPV related cancers affecting the mouth and throat have a huge impact on people’s quality of life. It’s frustrating for dentists who are often the first to detect these cancers, knowing they could have easily been prevented. There is no logic or fairness in only protecting half the population, and we urge the Government to consider the human as well as the financial cost.”