Too few boys vaccinated against HPV

    

    

Doctors newspaper online, 01.08.2019

    

        
        
        

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Human Papillomaviruses

More girls than boys are vaccinated against human papillomaviruses (HPV). This is confirmed by data from INSIGHT Health.

Of all children and adolescents vaccinated against HPV since June 2018 to May 2019, 21 percent are male.

© Zinkevych / Getty Images / iStock

Waldems-ESCH. According to an evaluation by INSIGHT Health, every fifth adolescent vaccinated against the HP virus is male (21 percent). In the new federal states, this is twice as many boys as in the old ones (39 percent).

Since HPV can cause cancer not only in girls, but also in boys for years after infection, vaccination is recommended for adolescents of both sexes.

According to own data, the data was used by approximately 77 percent of all legally insured patients in Germany. Of all children and adolescents vaccinated against HPV since June 2018 to May 2019, 21 percent are male. It is noticeable that almost 60 percent of them were vaccinated between 12 and 15 years. For girls, this proportion is slightly higher at 62 percent.

The trend is the other way round in the nine- to eleven-year-olds: 17 percent of boys vaccinated against HPV received the vaccine at this age range; on the other hand, girls are two percentage points less. It is also noteworthy that between June 2018 and May 2019, around one-quarter of those between the ages of 16 and 17 were vaccinated against HP viruses between June 2018 and May 2019 – much later than recommended by the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO).

Regional Differences in the HPV Inoculation Rate

In addition to the abnormalities of HPV vaccination rates depending on the age group, regional differences were also noted. For example, of all children and adolescents aged nine to 17 years who had been vaccinated against HPV between June 2018 and May 2019, 39 percent of boys and 61 percent of girls in eastern Germany received the vaccine. This distribution is structured differently in the West: around half of the population, ie only 20 percent of all children and adolescents vaccinated against HPV, were male in the old federal states; accordingly, 80 percent were female.

Since May 2007, the STIKO recommends vaccination against HPV for girls – since 2014 already from the age of nine to 14 years according to a 2-dose scheme. The vaccine should protect against cervical cancer in particular.

But the virus can also be dangerous to boys: some types of the virus can cause skin and genital warts, others can still after years of inactivity malignant tissue changes not only on the cervix, vagina and vulva, but also penis, anus and in the mouth Cause pharyngeal area.

Therefore, the STIKO advises since June 2018, boys at the age of nine to 14 years for HPV vaccine. This should ideally be done before the first sexual intercourse and no later than the age of 17 years. If the first virus vaccination takes place at the age of 15 or older, three vaccinations are required. (eb)

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