New research aims to determine whether the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine should be extended to boys.

A national HPV vaccination programme has been in place in Ireland since 2010 and as part of this, all girls attending first year in secondary school are offered the vaccine free of charge.

The main aim of this is to protect them against developing cervical cancer. There are many types of HPV, most of which are harmless. However, some strains can be serious, such as those that cause cervical cancer. The vaccine protects against four strains of the virus - 6,11,16 and 18 - which are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

However, other cancers are also associated with the virus and these can affect both men and women, such as anal, genital and oropharyngeal (throat) cancer. HPV is also associated with the development of penile cancer and is the cause of genital warts in both men and women.

Following a request by the Department of Health, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has agreed to carry out a health technology assessment (HTA). This will assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of providing the HPV vaccine to boys.

"HPV infection is the most commonly acquired sexually transmitted viral infection. In most cases, it causes no symptoms and is cleared by the body's immune system. However, persistent infection can lead to the development of cancer.

"The HPV vaccine has been proven to be safe. Additionally, it is highly effective at preventing infection with the HPV types most commonly linked with cancer and genital warts in both men and women," commented HIQA's director of HTA, Dr Mairin Ryan.

She noted that the assessment will also look at the ‘wider implications' of extending the vaccination programme, such as ethical and societal implications.

HIQA is currently forming an expert advisory group made up of representatives from key stakeholder groups, who will advise the HTA evaluation team during the course of this assessment.

The final results of the HTA are expected in early 2018, when they will be submitted to the Minister for Health for consideration.

While welcoming the announcement, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) questioned the need for a HTA, ‘given that medical evidence already proves the vaccination is highly effective'.

"Boys need the HPV vaccine too. Many doctors think we should already be vaccinating young boys as part of the national immunisation programme. The conversation should be about action to include boys in the programme and how this will be rolled out, rather than an assessment on whether boys should be included," commented IMO president, Dr Ann Hogan.

She also pointed out that the number of girls availing of the vaccine has fallen in recent years and called for ‘a highly effective communications strategy to inform parents of the medical facts around the success and effectiveness of the vaccine'.

"We need a schools education programme to educate our children about how to reduce the risks of contracting HPV. There has been a steady erosion of confidence in the uptake of the vaccine based on irresponsible scare mongering and if uptake continues to decline, it will have serious consequences for all our young people.

"Additional resources and funding across clinical services, communications and health promotion are essential for the delivery of the national vaccination programme," Dr Hogan added.