RoI HPV Vaccination Programme to Include Boys

From September 2019, the HPV vaccine will be made freely available to boys as well as girls in their first year of secondary school in the Republic of Ireland.  This is part of the HSE’s National Immunisation Programme, and is the first year that boys will be offered this jab.  Each year, around 400 people are diagnosed with a HPV-caused cancer in Ireland - and one in five of these diagnoses will occur in men.  Around 100 people die from HPV-related cancers in Ireland annually.  Therefore, high uptake of the vaccination programme is an essential step towards eliminating these cancers.  Parents are encouraged to find out more about the vaccination programme in order to reassure themselves of both the need for it and how safe it is.  A good place to start is at: www.hpv.ie