Prevent cancer HPV vaccine is now recommended for boys

Cancer prevention: Experts recommend HPV vaccine now for boys

For girls, vaccination against human papillomavirus has been recommended for years. Recently, the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) decided to recommend the HPV vaccine for boys as well. Some health insurance companies have already announced that they will pay the costs.

Viruses can cause cancer

Human papilloma viruses (HPV) are pathogens that can cause inflammation and skin changes, but in the worst case can also cause cancer. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recommends the HPV vaccine for girls from the age of nine since 2007. This should significantly reduce the number of cervical cancer cases. In the future, this vaccine is also recommended for boys.

The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has decided to recommend the HPV vaccine for boys in the future. (Image: sharryfoto / fotolia.com)

HPV vaccine not just for girls

As the RKI reports on its website, the STIKO made the following decision at its 90th session about two weeks ago:

"The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) for all boys aged 9 to 14 years. Recuperation is recommended until the age of 17 years. The HPV vaccine recommendation for girls remains unchanged. "

This recommendation is the basis for a reimbursement by the statutory health insurance, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) said in a press release.

Still no uniform regulation on the assumption of costs

As the experts explain, the recommendation of the STIKO applies only with the publication in epidemiological Bulletin 34/2018 of the Robert-Koch Institute.

Following this publication, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) examines the cost assumptions by the statutory health insurers.

Until then, there is still no uniform regulation on the question of reimbursement. Parents who want to have their sons vaccinated immediately, should then discuss a possible reimbursement directly with their health insurance.

Some insurers have already announced that they will pay the costs. For example, Dr. Jens Baas, Chief Executive Officer of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK): "We take this recommendation as an opportunity and reimburse the costs for the HPV vaccine now also for boys."

And a statement from DAK Health states: "DAK Health is taking over vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) for boys from 1 July."

Nobel laureate of medicine welcomes the decision

Numerous health experts had been in Germany since the HPV vaccine was approved in 2007, calling for not only girls but also boys to be vaccinated against HPV, as this vaccine can also protect against genital warts and precursors of penis and anal cancer.

One of these experts is the Nobel laureate Harald zur Hausen. Compared to the DKFZ, he said it was "high time" that the HPV vaccine for boys is recommended.

Harald zur Hausen, former chairman of the DKFZ, has researched the connection between viruses and cervical cancer, thereby laying the foundation for the development of HPV vaccines.

For this he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2008.

Protection against preventable cancers

About the STIKO decision, he said: "That was also high time! There have long been a number of compelling reasons for vaccinating boys as well: The most obvious argument is that in almost all cultures, young men have more sexual partners than women of the same age group. This makes men the most important propagators of the infection. "

In addition, the men benefit from the vaccine because they are not only the carriers, but also the victims of the viruses.

"The vaccine not only protects against cervical cancer, but also against various other types of cancer, which can also affect men, and which are caused by the same HPV types, such as oropharyngeal cancer or anal cancer," said the Nobel Laureate.

"So I can only appeal to the parents of all boys: Seize the opportunity and protect your son and future partners from these preventable cancers," said the expert.

According to the information, about 1,000 cases of cancer in men per year in Germany go to HPV's account.

"In addition to the effective protection against cancer, the vaccine can protect against the widespread genital warts, which are not life-threatening, but very persistent and unpleasant," said Hausen.

Well tolerated vaccines

According to the DKFZ, currently used vaccines are safe and well tolerated.

The most common side effects are - similar to other vaccinations - skin reactions at the injection site such as redness, itching, mild pain and swelling.

Less common may be headache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness or hypersensitivity reactions such as difficulty breathing. (Ad)