The Canadian Cancer Society is calling for the expansion of the province’s human papillomavirus vaccination program to include all genders in order to prevent cancer.
Currently in B.C., the HPV vaccine is publicly funded and available in school for all girls in Grade 6 across the province. Boys, however, do not have equal access to the vaccine and are only offered it if they are considered at an ‘increased risk’ of contracting HPV.
The society, along with 25 other health organizations, submitted a letter to Health Minister Terry Lake in June requesting an expansion of B.C.’s vaccination program to include all genders. The letter and information about the HPV vaccine is available at cancer.ca/bc/HPVvaccine.