HPV Vaccine Recommended for Boys

Boys should get shots to prevent a virus that causes cervical and several other kinds of cancer, an expert panel says. The vaccine Gardasil is approved for both girls and boys. It protects against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes genital warts. Some types of HPV also cause nearly all cases of cervical cancer. HPV can cause cancers of the anus, penis, vulva, vagina, head and neck as well. It is spread by skin-to-skin contact during sex. An expert committee said October 25 that boys should get the Gardasil vaccine at age 11 or 12. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention usually follows the group’s advice. Current guidelines recommend that all girls get the vaccine, or another version called Cervarix, to protect against cervical cancer. Cervarix is not approved for use in boys.