Boys may be included in HPV vaccination scheme

Boys may be included in the schools vaccination programme against the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, it emerged yesterday.

HPV, which causes most cervical cancers in women, is also associated with cancer in male reproductive organs and other cancers in men.

However, HPV vaccines are only available to girls in schools even though gender neutral vaccination against HPV has been shown to be effective in preventing related infections in men.