Boys should also be vaccinated against papilloma viruses
Published: Monday, Jan 15th 2024, 13:01
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All boys between the ages of eleven and fourteen should now also be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), not just girls of this age. This is the recommendation of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the Federal Commission for Vaccination Issues (FCVI).
Until now, Switzerland had a supplementary vaccination recommendation against HPV for boys and young men aged eleven to nineteen. This was announced by the FOPH on Monday. Since the beginning of the year, the FOPH and EKIF have been recommending this vaccination as a basic vaccination for all eleven to fourteen-year-olds, regardless of gender.
According to the FOPH press release, the federal government and the EKIF are making this change to the vaccination recommendation in response to reports of increased HPV infections in men. The HPV vaccination is largely perceived as a "vaccination against cervical cancer", writes the FOPH. However, the papilloma viruses can also cause cancer in men.
According to the FOPH, the vaccination provides the best protection if it is given before the first sexual contact. According to cantonal vaccination coverage monitoring, 71% of girls were vaccinated against HPV in 2021 and 49% of boys. However, the differences between the cantons are considerable.
The FOPH and EKIF have adapted further vaccination recommendations as of the beginning of 2024. For example, a supplementary vaccination against pneumococcal disease is now recommended for all people aged 65 and over.
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