A federal government advisory committee voted Tuesday to recommend that boys and young men, from ages 11 to 21, be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus, commonly referred to as HPV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices says the vaccine series can be started as early as age 9.
...Although the vaccine has been approved for males since 2009, it hasn't been as heavily promoted for them. One reason for the push now is that girls aren't getting vaccinated in the numbers doctors expected. "If the boys are also immunized, it reduces the transmission back and forth," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the Department of Preventative Medicine at Vanderbilt University, who attended the CDC meeting as an adviser but not a voting member. By receiving the vaccine, boys will also be protected against cancers of the penis and rectum. Also, there is growing evidence of HPV causing the recent increase in head and neck cancer. A study released earlier this month found approximately 70% of all oropharyngeal cancers are caused by HPV infection. The HPV vaccine protects against both, according to Schaffner. Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics began including the HPV vaccine on its list of recommended vaccines for boys.
The HPV vaccine became a political hot potato when Republican presidential contender Michele Bachmann was critical of fellow Republican contender and Texas Gov. Rick Perry's support of the vaccine for girls. In 2007, he signed an executive order that required Texas schoolgirls to receive vaccinations against HPV, although it wasn't implemented.