Cancer Focus: 'HPV vaccine for NI boys vital'
Charity urges Department of Health to follow UK plans for jab
Last updated 1st Aug 2018
A leading cancer charity is calling for the HPV vaccine to be introduced in Northern Ireland, in line with the rest of the UK.
The sexually transmitted infection accounts for 5% of all cancers here and is the leading cause of oral cancer among young people.
Health professionals say HPV is an extremely common STI and most people will become infected at some point.
For the most part, the virus goes away by itself but it can cause serious health problems if it remains.
While there is currently no cure for the virus, resulting health issues can be closely monitored.
Last week UK health ministers announced plans to introduce the vaccination for boys in England, Scotland and Wales.
It comes after a final recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises health officials in the UK.
Dervla Kernaghan is the acting head of care services at Cancer Focus Northern Ireland.
She told Downtown Cool FM there's a common misconception that the HPV virus only affects women:
"It's certainly seen as being linked to women because of the link with cervical cancer but the virus affects both males and females.
"Certainly the evidence from the statement last week, and other countries that are now adopting it, is that vaccinating men will actually overall help reduce rates of a number of different types of cancer."
There is growing concern around the prevalence of oral cancer in boys and men in the UK and according to health professionals that is widely attributed to the HPV virus.
Dervla says it is a worrying trend:
"It's certainly the leading cause of oral cancer especially among young people.
"Our rates of oral cancer are expected to increase by 2035 and that's increasing faster in men than in women.
"Certainly this vaccine if it were applied here, would offer some protection to men.
"There's an argument for herd immunity so if both males and females were vaccinated at a young age, it would increase the overall immunity of the entire population."
Girls aged 12 and 13 in Northern Ireland are currently offered the vaccine to help protect against cervical cancer.
The charity called on the Department of Health here to extend the jab to young boys.
In response the Department said it is putting plans to place to begin 'preparatory work' on the issue.
But with the absence of a Health Minister and no Executive to sign off on major policy changes, Dervla isn't hopeful that the booster will be introduced to boys here any time soon:
"This is being adopted in England, Wales and Scotland.
"At the moment we don't have it but we're certainly hopeful that our Executive, whenever it returns or whenever that may be, that they'll certainly consider it.
"Our call would really be for clarity around this issue.
"It's certainly an important public health issue and in terms of equity and the clinical need for this, we would be calling on clarity from our government."
The collapse of the Stormont institutions in January 2017 has left a number of health issues in limbo.
Dervla says the political impasse is having a detrimental effect on the health of the population here:
"It makes our work tremendously difficult.
"There is a very real human impact of the lack of government and the reality is we are falling behind the rest of the UK.
"This vaccination for boys has been adopted in other countries, the evidence is there and yet again we're being left behind.
"The absence of a government is really starting to affect our population health here."