Oct 25 2011
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) approved the quadrivalent HPV vaccine for routine use in males aged 11-12. The ACIP also approved routine catch-up vaccination for males aged 13-21.
The Anal Cancer Foundation applauds the ACIP's affirmative vote to routinely recommend the quadrivalent HPV vaccine for boys. It is a victory in the fight against cancer. HPV prevention is not a single-sex issue. The increasing incidence of HPV-associated cancers among men -- as well as the still-low vaccination rate among girls -- demonstrates that prevention efforts must be targeted at both genders. By recognizing that boys would reap the same benefits in routine HPV vaccination as girls, the ACIP is taking the next step in the fight against HPV-associated cancers and diseases. Families and doctors are faced daily with serious decisions about how to deal with the difficult consequences of cancer, and today's vote provides them with a very powerful cancer prevention tool.
Read our most recent letter submitted to the ACIP outlining the reasons for supporting the HPV vaccine male routine recommendation. We invite you to also read our June 2011 and February 2011 letters.
In our statement of support, The HPV and Anal Cancer Foundation was joined by AIDS Community Research Initiative of America, The Farrah Fawcett Foundation, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, The HPV Support Network, International Rectal Microbicide Advocates, Kristen Forbes EVE Foundation, LGBT Cancer Network, National Cervical Cancer Coalition, The Oral Cancer Foundation, Project Inform and Treatment Action Group.