Health officials say HPV vaccine for boys ‘will prevent thousands of cancers’

Eleven years after girls were first vaccinated for the human papilloma virus, it has been announced that boys aged 12-13 years will be eligible from the start of the new school year.

HPV is the cause of many throat, anal and oral cancers.

Since the vaccination was introduced to girls, there has been a marked success in the reduction of HPV infections, pre-cancerous growths and genital warts.

Public Health England have said the programme could ‘make HPV-related diseases a thing of the past’. They estimate that, thanks to the vaccine, 85,000 cancers will be prevented in women, including 64,000 cases of cervical cancer, and 29,000 in men in the UK by the year 2058.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s immunisation expert Dr David Elliman, said he welcomed the introduction of the programme for boys, adding “In time, this will lead to a significant reduction in cancers of the anus, penis and head and neck.

“The latter is currently increasing in incidence, but this trend will be turned around as the vaccination programme takes effect in the future.”

The Royal College of GPs said “The potential of this vaccine to save lives and prevent the complications of cancer is huge, and since it has been available on the NHS for girls, it has had excellent take-up, with impressive results – it’s important this success is replicated with boys.”

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.

Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Freephone : 0800 304 738