Campaigners slam decision NOT to give HPV jab to boys

Teenage boys will continue to be denied the anti-cancer HPV jab because it costs too much, a Government advisory body has announced.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises on the cost-effectiveness of vaccinations, said the NHS should carry on giving it only to girls.

Campaigners have slammed the decision, accusing the independent committee of putting more than 400,000 lives at risk with the virus known to lead to oral, penile and anal cancers in later life.  

And charities have said the decision by the JCVI, which did acknowledge evidence that boys would benefit, may breach equality law.

‘Both sexes deserve equal protection’ against HPV, campaigners argue (file)

HPV Action campaign director Peter Baker said: ‘It is astonishing that the committee has ignored advice from patient organisations, doctors treating men with HPV-related cancers, public health experts and those whose lives have been devastated by HPV.

‘The decision not to vaccinate boys is about saving money not public health or equity.

‘HPV Action will continue to make the case for a national vaccination programme that protects men and women equally and will be calling on ministers to make the right decision if the JCVI continues along its current path. 

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‘There may also be grounds for a legal challenge on the grounds that the a decision to leave boys and men at risk breaches equality law.’

It is estimated that each year in the UK there are 2,000 new cases of HPV-related cancer in men and 48,000 cases of genital warts.

The vaccination protects against nine HPV types including those responsible for 90 per cent of HPV-related anal and cervical cancers and 90 per cent of genital warts. 

‘Herd protection’  

The NHS began offering the HPV vaccine to 12 to 13 year old girls to protect themselves against cervical cancer nine years ago. 

Only girls were vaccinated on the grounds that men who only have sex with women would logically also be protected from transmission through ‘herd immunity’. 

The JCVI has said that today’s decision – which is as an ‘interim’ one – is grounded in the same reasoning and because uptake in adolescent girls is ‘consistently high’ at over 85 per cent.

In 2016, the jab was made available for gay men and bisexual men in England up until the age of 26 as part of a pilot scheme. 

The committee decided to recommend this move because the ‘herd immunity’ concept is said to not apply to gay men.

Its statement said: ‘The evidence considered clearly indicates that HPV is associated with a number of cancers which affect both sexes.   

‘While there are some additional population level health benefits to both males and females by extending the programme to boys, impact and cost-effectiveness modelling indicates that adding boys is highly unlikely to be cost-effective in the UK.’ 

But experts point out a weakness in the JCVI’s herd protection argument.

Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, said: ‘It all comes down to cost and how much benefit will be gained from vaccinating boys.

‘As increasing numbers of girls take up the vaccine then risk of heterosexual transmission decreases and the benefit of vaccinating boys diminishes.

‘But of course, this reliance on herd immunity doesn’t provide optimal benefit for boys who go onto have sex with other men in adulthood.’ 

The body said its final decision would be made after further consultations.  

WHAT IS HPV? 

The human papilloma virus (HPV) is the name given to a family of viruses.

There are over 100 different types of HPV, with around 40 types that affect the genital area.

Different types of HPV are classed as either high risk or low risk, depending on the conditions they can cause.

For instance, some types of HPV can cause warts or verrucas. Other types are associated with cervical cancer.

In 99 per cent of cases, cervical cancer occurs as a result of a history of infection with high-risk types of HPV.

Often, infection with the HPV causes no symptoms.

Infection with some high-risk types of HPV can cause abnormal tissue growth as well as other cell changes that can lead to cervical cancer.

Infection with other types of HPV may cause genital warts, skin warts and verrucas, vaginal cancer or vulval cancer (although these types of cancer are rare), anal cancer or cancer of the penis, some cancers of the head and neck and laryngeal papillomas (warts on the voice box or vocal cords).

Studies have already shown that the vaccine protects against HPV infection for around 10 years, although experts expect protection to be for much longer. 

Listen to the doctors urge campaigners

A recent survey carried out by HPV Action of over 1,500 British GPs and dentists revealed that 95 per cent believe the national HPV vaccination programme should cover both boys and girls. 

The British Dental Association has also called on the JCVI to back vaccination of boys and argues vaccination is cost effective for the NHS.  

TV presenter Dr Christian Jessen backs the calls and said it is important to give the jab to boys when they are 12 or 13 – before they are sexually active.

‘The vaccine will not work effectively if a person has already been infected by HPV,’ he previously told MailOnline.

Call for parents to fight 

Pressure groups points out that 11 countries, including Australia, Austria, Italy and Norway, are already vaccinating boys and the UK is lagging behind.

Tristan Almada, co-founder of the HPV Anal Cancer Foundation, has urged parents to help pile the pressure on the Government.

He said: ‘The JCVI’s disappointing announcement today puts over 400,000 boys a year at unnecessary risk for contracting HPV, a ubiquitous virus that causes five per cent of all cancers.

‘Although the public is familiar with the HPV vaccine as the ‘cervical cancer jab,’ HPV is responsible for the fastest increasing cancers in UK men today. 

‘Eleven countries are now vaccinating their boys. UK boys deserve the same. 

‘I hope that parents in the UK will join us in fighting for their boys’ right to have access to this life-saving vaccine.’   

In April, pharmacy chain Boots UK launched a new private HPV vaccination service for both males and females aged 12 to 44. 

For 12 to 14-year-olds it costs £300 for a course of two vaccinations. For those over 15, three vaccinations is required which costs £450.