Reviewing HPV Vaccination Policy to Enhance Public Awareness and Extend Coverage to Include Males

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has reviewed its policies on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination; (b) if so, whether the Ministry will (i) raise more public awareness about HPV amongst men and (ii) promote HPV vaccination to include men; and (c) whether the subsidy for HPV vaccination under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (NCIS) can be extended to males given that HPV affects both sexes.

As the incidence of anal cancer amongst males is several times lower than cervical cancer amongst females, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination of males to prevent anal cancer does not provide the same level of benefit as for preventing cervical cancer in females. It is, therefore, not likely to be cost effective at the population level. Hence, HPV vaccination of males is not in the national immunisation schedules and subsidies do not apply.