HAMPSHIRE schoolboys will soon have access to a life saving vaccine.
The news comes after it was announced by Public Health England that boys in year eight at secondary school will be offered the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine.
This is the first time boys have been able to receive the vaccine and this is set to begin from September.
Girls have been offered the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine free from the NHS since 2008. So far, ten million doses of HPV vaccine have been given to young women in this country meaning over 80% of women aged 15 to 24 have received the vaccine.
Since the introduction of HPV vaccination, infections of some types of HPV in 16-21 year old women have reduced by 86% in England
Clare Simpson, Screening and Immunisation Lead for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said:“This universal programme offers us the opportunity to make HPV-related diseases a thing of the past and build on the success of the girls’ programme.
“Offering the vaccine to boys will not only protect them but will also prevent more cases of HPV related cancers in girls and reduce the overall burden of these cancers in both men and women in the future.
“I encourage all parents of eligible boys and girls to make sure they take up the offer for this potentially life-saving vaccine.
“It’s important not to delay vaccination, as the vaccine may be less effective as adolescents get older.”
Public Health Minister Seema Kennedy added:”The success of the HPV vaccine programme for girls is clear and by extending it to boys we will go a step further to help us prevent more cases of HPV-related cancer every year.”
“Programmes like this are at the heart of our work to help people live longer, healthier lives through the NHS Long Term Plan and I would encourage everyone who is eligible to take up this potentially life-saving vaccine.”
Information on receiving the vaccine will be If they miss out on the vaccination for any reason they should talk to their school nurse/immunisation team about getting the vaccine at a later date provided from schools.
Worldwide, about 5% of all cancers are linked to the HPV virus.
This includes cervical, penile, anal and genital cancers and some cancers of the head and neck.
The vaccine helps to protect against all of these types of cancer
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