Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Beresford and Steve Brine

Tuesday 24th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley) (Con)]

5. What assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the provision of the HPV vaccine to boys.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Steve Brine)]

Our expert group, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, issued its final advice on HPV vaccination for boys on 18 July. I have carefully considered its advice, and I wanted to tell the House first that the Government will introduce a nationwide HPV vaccination programme for adolescent boys. This will bring clear health benefits for boys, providing them with direct protection against HPV infection and associated disease, including a number of cancers.

[Sir Paul Beresford]

I declare an interest as a very, very part-time dentist.

I am delighted by the response, but given the importance of head and neck cancer prevention for both sexes, but especially for males, who are twice as susceptible, will the Minister supplement this programme with a catch-up programme, as was done for girls in 2008, to make the vaccine available for 14 to 18-year-old boys?

[Steve Brine]

I thank my hon. Friend for welcoming this. The British Dental Association has been key in lobbying on this issue, as has—I give credit where it is due—The Mail on Sunday, which has campaigned on it for a long time. I have asked NHS England and Public Health England to work together to advise me on the implementation of the programme, including with regard to the issue that he raises, which makes a lot of sense and for which there is precedent from the girls’ programme. I will of course consider the advice and confirm the implementation plan as soon as possible.