Government advisors are recommending that the national HPV immunization programme in England should include both boys and girls. The Joint Committee of Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) believes that this would be a cost-effective option for preventing HPV-related diseases in boys and further improves public health.

HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection, where around 70-80 percent of sexually active people get infected at some point. Mostly, the virus passes through the body without causing any serious damage, but at times, HPV can lead to genital warts or cancer.

Giampiero Favato, the professor from Kingston University said, “Only vaccinating girls have been putting boys and men at risk; Once England follows suit, almost 400,000 boys a year in the UK will be protected against the virus; This will make a significant impact on the future public health of UK citizens."

The Royal Society for Public Health also welcomed the decision as “a victory for the public’s health”.

Shirley Cramer, the Chief executive said, “Boys have been left insufficiently protected against HPV for too long and it is good news that the UK is following in the footsteps of the other 20 countries already vaccinating boys against HPV; It is estimated that HPV causes up to 5% of all cancers and, with the NHS under pressure, the value of the prevention of ill-health is only increasing. The government and vaccine manufacturers should aim to roll the immunization programme out to all boys as soon as possible.”