Oct 25, 2011: Routine HPV vaccine recommended for boys - The panel that advises the CDC on vaccines recommends that the shot be given to boys ages 11 and 12 in addition to girls, noting that the virus is linked to many other cancers besides cervical.
……However, as of 2010, only about a third of U.S. girls had received the three-dose vaccine, and the rates are plateauing, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Another potential barrier to routine use is money. The three-shot series costs at least $300.
"Year after year we continue to have evidence of low uptake in girls," said Dr. Jane Kim, an assistant professor of health decision science at Harvard School of Public Health who has studied the cost-effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. "When we're at such low coverage for girls, it is of value to vaccinate boys."
It's not clear how well parents will embrace vaccination of their adolescent sons. Those who are dubious should know that vaccination against HPV may help prevent other types of cancers, such as those of the penis, head, neck and mouth, said Dr. Jessica Kahn, associate professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and chair of the vaccinations committee for the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, which supported the recommendation.
Rates of oral cancers are rising, and HPV infection is now thought to account for more cases of oral cancer than tobacco use, Kahn said.
And, she added, the vaccine is just as safe and effective in boys as in girls.
The key to acceptance, Kahn added, will be in making sure that parents understand the range of diseases that HPV can cause in their sons. The role of HPV in cervical cancer is broadly known, she said. "But we fall short in explaining what HPV can cause in boys and men."
Thinking 'way back to a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking and narcissistic professor our college had in the 60s who hit on all the girls and who ultimately got oral cancer, this is interesting news. I had thought it was just the cigarettes.
Excellent post, as always C-Wife!