Policy Research (How-To): Extending HPV Vaccination to Boys

December 23, 2017

Here is a quick demonstration on how to approach a policy issue with a literature review.

Question: Should the UK extend its HPV vaccination coverage to all boys?

The HPV vaccination programme was introduced in 2008. Since then, the UK has made great strides towards complete HPV coverage in females. Recently, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) made the recommendation to expand the UK HPV programme to vaccinate men who have sex with men (MSM) aged up to 40 years old attending GUM and HIV clinics.

Tasks: To assess available evidence for our proposed policy using economical, societal, ethical, and political perspectives.

Methods: A literature search was conducted on PubMed for each topic using combinations of the words: UK, HPV, male/men/MSM, cost-effectiveness/economic burden, awareness, and Natsal-3. Abstracts were assessed for both UK relevance and applicability to the proposal.

Results: Population-based surveys reveal a lack of public knowledge about HPV in males. Economic data on HPV-related diseases relevant to males was limited for the UK. Epidemiological studies showed more of a decrease in prevalence when vaccinating girls and boys compared to just girls.

Conclusions: We concluded that there is sufficient support for our proposal based on epidemiological evidence and ethical considerations. More research on the impact of HPV-related diseases will be needed to support the implementation on an economic basis. If the UK does expand their HPV program, regular and continued studies are recommended to evaluate program progress. Finally, many studies suggest the possibility for the eradication of HPV 16 and 18 when providing vaccinations for both girls and boys.

Update:

Kmietowicz, Z., 2018. Boys in England to get HPV vaccine from next year. BMJ 362, k3237. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k3237