Boys will also be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus, which causes cancer

The effects of CPV infection are the same for both sexes, and in addition, males have a shorter period of time to develop some cancers, and screening for male-specific CPV tumors is not available. Therefore, realizing the importance of vaccination, the MoH had found funding in internal resources, reallocating it from other measures, as a result of which vaccination against CPV infection for 12- to 14-year-old boys continues this year as well.

The Ministry of Health states that, taking into account the vaccination coverage forecasts for 2023 for boys aged 12 to 17 years provided by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC), it can be concluded that with the amount of vaccine doses planned for 2023 for the vaccination of both girls and boys, it is possible to expand the vaccination of boys against CPV up to and including 17 years.

The predicted total number of required doses of CPV vaccines for the year 2023 to provide vaccination for boys up to 17 years of age is approximately 17,124 vaccine doses. On the other hand, the total available number of vaccine doses for the planned vaccination in 2023 is approximately 17,597 vaccine doses, thus it is currently possible to expand the group of boys to be vaccinated within the number of CPV vaccine doses purchased in 2023, explains the Ministry of Health.

Gender-neutral or universal CPV vaccination in the 12- to 17-year-old age group in 2023 will be provided from the already allocated financial resources. However, in order for gender-neutral vaccination to be possible in the following years as well, it will be necessary to find additional financial resources and make a corresponding amendment to the Vaccination Regulations in order to determine the right to receive vaccination against CPV for boys from the age of 14, the Ministry of Health admits.

Also, the amendments provide that for vaccination against CPV from the age of 12, a two-dose vaccination scheme is used with a minimum interval of six months between doses, except for immunosuppressed patients, who are used a three-dose vaccination scheme.

According to the information provided by SPKC, at the end of 2022, 56.3% of girls who are entitled to vaccination against CPV completed the CPV vaccination course. On the other hand, among 12- to 14-year-old boys, 16.8% had started vaccination, and 4.1% had completed the vaccination course.

Amendments to the Vaccination Regulations are currently submitted to the government for approval.

As reported, the IVP had previously indicated that there is currently an inadequate, unfair and discriminatory distribution of state financial resources for vaccination of girls and boys against CPV, which can cause various types of malignant tumors in both sexes. IVP has expressed a categorical position – it is not supportable a situation where the state pays for the vaccine for one gender, but not for the other.