THIMPHU, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Bhutan became the first country in South Asia to introduce human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for boys, according to Bhutan's Ministry of Health.
The initiative is launched as part of the interventions and program targeted primarily to eliminate cervical cancer in the country, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
This initiative came a decade after initially introducing the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign for girls between 12 and 18 years old in 2010.
According to the ministry, the HPV vaccination for boys will provide additional benefits in terms of protecting males and their partners against HPV-related diseases. It will also help reducing the circulation of HPV-related cancers such as anogenital cancer, genital warts, penile cancer and also head and neck cancers, according to the statement.
The launch of the HPV vaccine for boys is one of the key interventions, which will help the Ministry of Health realize its goal of eliminating cervical cancer in the country.
The government of Prime Minister Lotay Tshering has tabled the global agenda on the elimination of cervical cancer during a session of the Executive Board Meeting of the World Health Assembly in January 2019.
The ministry said the vaccine will be given to all boys studying in grade six and those out of schoolboys who are aged 12, and also to monks who are between the age of 11 to 14 years.
The second dose of the vaccine will be given to the same cohort in May 2021 and the school-based HPV vaccination for boys will be integrated along with the girls from 2021 academic year with the quadrille-valent HPV vaccine, said the statement.
Despite being preventable, cervical cancer is found as one of the most common cancers among females and every year more than 50 cases are detected in the country. While men do not get this cancer, they are found to be the carrier and transmit the virus to their partners. Enditem
