Vaccinating boys against HPV begins

Vaccinating boys against HPV (human papillomavirus) has started, said the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a press release on Wednesday.

The HPV vaccination has been offered to girls since 2013; now boys can also get vaccinated free of charge as part of the vaccination programme.

The vaccine is offered to all 5th and 6th graders. During school years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, vaccines will also be offered to all boys in grades 7-9 in order to protect as many young people as possible from cancer caused by papillomaviruses.

“Papillomaviruses cause cancer in the head and neck, penis and anus, and female genitalia, just to name a few. The most common one in women is cervical cancer and in men the tonsil cancer,” said THL Senior Researcher Heini Salo.

The papillomavirus is very easy to catch. Without HPV vaccinations, at some point in their lives - mostly when they are still young - about eight out of ten people catch an infection that could lead to a serious disease. A small number of infections lead to cancer.

“It is important that every young person is given personal protection against carcinogenic papillomaviruses because it is impossible to know in advance whose papillomavirus infection will develop into a cancer,” said Salo.

“In the future, fewer people will become ill or die from cancers caused by papillomaviruses. This helps people avoid rough cancer treatments. HPV vaccination also saves a lot of worry and everyday difficulties caused by the papillomavirus infection,” added Salo.

HPV vaccine is the safest way to protect people against early stages of cancer and cancer caused by papillomaviruses. The national vaccination programme uses the Cervarix vaccine which provides excellent protection against the papillomaviruses that most likely cause cancer.

The role of papillomaviruses in causing different cancers varies. By vaccinating both girls and boys, nearly 300 cases of cancer can be prevented in Finland every year. About one-third of these are cancers that affect men.

The vaccine provides the best benefit if given young since it is unlikely that a young person has yet contracted the virus. A young person’s body is also better at producing antibodies against papillomaviruses. Under 15-year-olds need a series of two doses and 15-year-olds and older require three doses.