Female physicians urge provinces, territories to pay for HPV vaccine for boys

TORONTO, Ont. – A group representing women doctors in Canada is urging provincial governments to pay for HPV vaccine for boys.

The Federation of Medical Women of Canada said vaccinating girls alone isn’t fair, and it isn’t using the vaccine to its maximum advantage.

Their statement comes after a federal government expert panel recently ruled there is strong evidence for use of the HPV vaccine Gardasil in boys and young men aged nine to 26.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization also recommended the vaccine for males aged nine and older who have sex with other males.

The Federation of Medical Women said both sexes contribute to the transmission of human papillomaviruses and should be protected against infection with these cancer-causing viruses.

Provincial health officials said they still need to do cost analyses to see if expanding HPV vaccination programs to include boys makes sense.

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