The provincial government is changing a seven-year-old policy and will begin offering HPV vaccines without charge to young men.
Starting in January 2016, men aged 26 and under who have sexual relations with other men will be eligible to get the vaccine against the human papilloma virus.
“It’s a great day for Quebec that we’ve finally caught up with the rest of Canada and that we’re going to vaccinate the boys and give them the protection they truly deserve” Gynecologist Dr. John Bray told CTV Montreal.
Parents of children aged 13 and under need to give consent before their child can be vaccinated.
The human papillomavirus is a leading cause of genital cancers, including cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, oropharynx and anus.
The vaccine offered by the province protects against four strains of HPV, including HPV16 and HPV18 which are known to cause around 70% of cervical cancer cases.
Toronto researches found by giving the HPV vaccine to all children, the country would save $12 million per year in cancer treatments.
Agencies/Canadajournal
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