RIVM today sends the first invitations to boys to be vaccinated against the HPV virus. Until now, only girls were vaccinated against the virus, which can cause cervical cancer.
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HPV stands for human papillomavirus and is a highly contagious virus that affects eight out of ten people at some point. You often do not notice an infection and usually the body clears the infection within one to two years. Sometimes that doesn’t happen, and cancer can develop after ten to fifteen years.
Vaccination age down
Because the vaccine works best before someone comes into contact with the virus, according to the RIVM, the vaccination age will be reduced from thirteen to ten years. “In addition to cervical cancer, the virus can also cause cancer in the penis, anus, labia, vagina, and mouth and pharynx,” says Jac Korsten, youth physician GGD Drenthe.
“In addition to girls, all ten-year-old boys also receive a call. The Health Council advises to give the vaccination earlier to prevent a preliminary stage of cancer.”
Peniscancer
Now that more and more is known about all the different forms of cancer that can be caused by HPV, it has been decided to vaccinate boys as well. More and more young men are being diagnosed with penile cancer. For some, a penile amputation is necessary to save a life.
unrest
Online stories sometimes cause concern about the HPV vaccination. “The vaccine has been available for girls since 2009 and now also for boys,” says Korsten. “Concerns about side effects such as chronic fatigue and migraines are wrong, multiple studies show.” The institute is starting a campaign on social media such as YouTube and Snapchat to call on young people to get the jabs.
The HPV vaccination is part of the National Immunization Programme. This also includes the vaccinations of children against diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, mumps, measles and rubella.
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