The HPV vaccine protects against various types of cancer, but only girls in Belgium are reimbursed for the vaccine. According to the Brussels labor court, this is contrary to the Gender Act and the Anti-Discrimination Act.
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Today, the NIHDI only provides reimbursement of the HPV vaccine (under certain conditions) for girls and not for boys. For example, a boy who buys the Gardasil 9 vaccine in the pharmacy pays almost 135 euros for it. That cost can further increase to more than 400 euros, because several vaccinations are needed for complete protection. A girl in the same situation, on the other hand, pays 8 or 12 euros.
As a result of this unequal reimbursement, the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men received a complaint from a boy. Together they appealed against the refusal of the Riziv to intervene in the costs. According to them, the unequal treatment is a violation of the Gender Act and the Anti-Discrimination Act, in which the Brussels Labor Court ruled in their favor.
‘This verdict is fully in line with the recommendations that the Institute made on this issue together with Kom op tegen Kanker and the Foundation against Cancer’, says deputy director Liesbet Stevens. ‘Namely, on the one hand, making the reimbursement conditions gender neutral and, on the other hand, investigating the possibility of catch-up vaccination for men who previously did not have the opportunity to be vaccinated.’
Not just for women
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of closely related viruses that cause abnormal cell growth in skin and mucous membranes. This can cause different types of cancers. The most well-known is cervical cancer, for which it was long thought that the virus only affected women.
Nevertheless, a recommendation from the Superior Health Council showed that a quarter of HPV-related cancers also occur in men. Since the 2019-2020 school year, girls and boys can therefore be protected through the free school vaccination program. Those who do not qualify for this can also buy the vaccine themselves from the pharmacist.
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