BADN backs call for gender neutral HPV vaccinations

26 April 2017
Volume 31 · Issue 6

The British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN), the UK’s only professional association specifically for dental nurses and the largest DCP association, has backed the call for gender-neutral HPV vaccinations, following a survey by the HPV Action Campaign showing support for the campaign from members of the Faculty of General Dental Practice and the British Dental Association.

The survey was published during World Immunisation Week (April 24-28) and as the Government’s vaccination advisory committee (JCVI) decides whether boys should also be given the HPV vaccination.

An all-party open letter has been sent to Jeremy Hunt MP, the health secretary, urging him to ensure that the HPV vaccination programme be expanded to school age boys as well as girls.

Jane Dalgarno, president of the BADN, said, “BADN is supporting the campaign to expand the HPV vaccination programme to boys as well as girls. Cancer prevention is, or should be, a gender-neutral issue. I am asking all dental nurses to sign the petition and to write to their own MPs, urging them to support this campaign.”

HPV Action is asking members of the public, especially the parents of boys, to sign an online petition demanding gender-neutral vaccination: http://bit.ly/2nHaUul and will be calling on all political parties to commit themselves to gender-neutral HPV vaccination during the forthcoming general election campaign.