Nurses back HPV jab for boys

Nurses believe the national HPV vaccination programme should be extended to cover boys as well as girls.

A small survey of 100 nurses for the British Journal of School Nursing found that 82% disagreed with health minister Earl Howe's statement that boys should not be inoculated because 'the aim of the programme has always been to prevent cervical cancer in women.'

Currently, the HPV vaccination is offered to girls aged 12 and 13 to protect against cervical cancer. It is usually delivered in schools, although some PCTs have opted to implement it through general practices. The jab is not routinely available to boys, who can carry the human papilloma virus, even though it also protects against cancer of the penis, mouth and anus.