Starting next month, male adolescents will also be able to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for free. Previously, only female adolescents were vaccinated at no cost, but the government expanded the national immunization support program to include male adolescents.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 16th, beginning May 6, the national immunization support program for the HPV vaccine will newly cover 12-year-old male adolescents (born in 2014). The previous eligibility, limited to females ages 12–26 (ages 18–26 only for low-income groups), is being expanded to include 12-year-old boys. With national immunization support, which had centered on females, now extending to males, the prevention scope for HPV-related diseases is expected to broaden.
The government will cover the expense of two HPV doses (0 and 6 months apart). Starting this year with male adolescents born in 2014, it plans to add those born in 2015 in 2027 and then expand eligibility by one age each year.
HPV is a virus that can infect people regardless of sex and is known to cause various diseases, including cervical cancer, anal cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, and genital warts. In particular, about 90% of cervical cancers and about 70% of anal and genital cancers and oropharyngeal cancers have been reported to be related to HPV infection.
Preventive effects have also been confirmed in males. Overseas studies found that HPV vaccination prevents genital warts by 89%, external genital lesions by 91%, and anal intraepithelial neoplasia by up to 78%. Accordingly, expanding vaccination to male adolescents is expected to help reduce the disease burden across society beyond protecting individual health.
The HPV vaccine is implemented as a national immunization in 147 countries worldwide, including 37 of the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and is evaluated as having proven effectiveness and safety.
Eligible recipients can receive the quadrivalent HPV vaccine for free at a nearby designated medical institution or public health center. Information on vaccination sites and vaccination records can be checked through the vaccination helper website.
Im Seung-gwan, commissioner of the disease control agency, said, "HPV vaccination is an effective means to prevent cancers and related diseases in the future," adding, "We hope that with this expansion, more adolescents can be vaccinated in a timely manner."