Starting Next Month, 12-Year-Old Male Adolescents Will Also Receive Free 'HPV Vaccine'

Starting next month, male adolescents will also be able to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine free of charge. As the National Immunization Program, which had previously focused on female adolescents, is expanded to include males, the burden of HPV-related diseases in our society is expected to decrease significantly.

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The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on April 16 that, beginning May 6, it will launch a new national immunization support program for male adolescents born in 2014. As a result, the free vaccination benefit, which had previously been available only to female adolescents aged 12 to 17 and low-income women aged 18 to 26, has now been expanded to include 12-year-old male adolescents (born between January 1 and December 31, 2014).

While HPV is widely known as a leading cause of cervical cancer, it can also cause anal cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, and genital warts in males. According to research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the HPV vaccine has been shown to prevent 89% of genital warts, 91% of external genital lesions, and 78% of anal intraepithelial neoplasia in males. The KDCA explained that the safety and efficacy of the vaccine are well recognized, as national immunization programs are conducted in 147 countries worldwide, including 37 out of 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The Immunization Expert Committee has determined that HPV vaccination is effective in preventing related diseases in males, and that expanding vaccination to include males, in addition to females, can help reduce the overall burden of HPV-related diseases in society.

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Eligible recipients can receive the HPV quadrivalent vaccine free of charge by visiting a nearby designated medical institution or public health center. The vaccination is administered twice, six months apart. Even if both doses are not completed within this year, recipients can continue to receive the free vaccination next year. Parents can easily check their children's vaccination records on the 'Immunization Helper' website.

The government plans to start with those born in 2014 this year and gradually expand the eligible age by one year each subsequent year. In 2027, those born in 2014 and 2015 will be eligible, and in 2028, those born between 2014 and 2016 will be included, with the ultimate goal of providing benefits to all male adolescents up to age 17.

Lim Seungkwan, Commissioner of the KDCA, said, "HPV vaccination is an effective means of preventing cancer and related diseases in the future," and added, "With this expansion of eligibility, we hope that more adolescents will be able to receive timely vaccinations."

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