Currently, only girls aged 12 to 13, are offered the vaccine.
However, the Government’s vaccination advisory committee (JCVI) looks set to make a decision on whether to recommend extending this to include boys at its next meeting on June 7, 2017.
The committee has already recommended that men who have sex with men – a particularly high-risk group for HPV infection – should be offered the vaccination if and when they attend sexual health clinics.
Now, pressure group, HPV Action – made up of 45 health and related organisations that advocates HPV vaccination for both boys and girls, including the British Dental Association (BDA) – is asking dentists and GPs for their views in an online poll.
HPV Action fights for the UK vaccination programme to offer gender-neutral vaccinations for the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes 5 per cent of all cancers – oral, cervical, anal, penile, vaginal and vulval.
It also causes anogenital warts and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, with the total disease burden shared between the sexes about equally.
Campaign director, Peter Baker, said, “We consider that it is unethical to exclude males from a vaccination programme that could significantly reduce their burden of cancer and protect their sexual health.
“For optimal effectiveness, males should be vaccinated at the same age as females – at age 12 to 13 – before the onset of sexual activity. Your participation in this short and confidential survey would be much appreciated.”
To get involved in this confidential survey, go to
www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XG935K3
The deadline for responses is April 13, 2017.