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Uniformity in male HPV vaccinations encouraged in Canada
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A recent Canadian analysis published in CMAJ reported that male vaccination programs are necessary in order to ensure equality in protection from HPV-associated diseases for men.
“Including boys in school-based HPV vaccination programs across all Canadian jurisdictions is important to ensure that protection from HPV-associated diseases is not dependent on a child’s gender or province of residence,” Gilla Shapiro, MPA, MPP, in the department of psychology at McGill University in Montreal, told Infectious Diseases in Children. “Our analysis identifies obstacles in including boys in HPV vaccine programs in some Canadian provinces and what factors could impact jurisdictions to expand their HPV vaccination program to include all boys.”
The Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends the HPV vaccine for girls and boys aged 9 to 26 years. While all Canadian provinces and territories have quadrivalent HPV vaccination programs for girls, only three of the 10 provinces — Prince Edward Island, Albert and Nova Scotia — currently have programs for boys. In their analysis, Shapiro and colleagues examined the barriers that prevent the other provinces from incorporating boys.
The researchers wrote that the prevalence of HPV-associated cancers is increasing in males in Canada. They also said that barriers to HPV vaccination in males included:
- not receiving a recommendation from a health care provider;
- lack of information about the HPV vaccine;
- negative attitudes toward the vaccine or vaccines in general;
- costs and logistics; and
- HPV primarily being labeled as a woman’s disease.
Shapiro and colleagues found that provinces have begun funding HPV vaccine programs for males after evaluating cost-effectiveness models and seeing that the vaccine’s cost was reduced. Still, they said, the estimated cost for one dose ($150) is a potential barrier to vaccination.
“We identify three provinces that currently have gender neutral school-based HPV vaccination programs,” Shapiro said. “This fall, three other Canadian provinces will offer gender-neutral, school-based HPV vaccination programs (Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec).”
The researchers concluded that it is critical that policymakers understand that “heterosexual males will not consistently be protected by herd immunity with current rates of HPV vaccination in females, and that [men who have sex with men] will not be protected by female-only programs.” – by Will Offit
Disclosure: Shapiro reports receiving grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Institute for Health and Social Policy at McGill University and the Canadian government. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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