TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛福部) announced plans to extend free HPV vaccinations to junior high school boys by 2025. The ministry began offering free HPV vaccinations to junior high school girls in December 2018, and the program has achieved a vaccination rate of over 90%.
Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) legislator Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) emphasized the vaccine's importance. She also noted that HPV causes cervical cancer in women and oropharyngeal cancer in men, with one in five men over 15 infected with a high-risk HPV type.
HPV accounts for 100% of cervical cancer, 30.8% of oropharyngeal cancer, 88% of anal cancer, and 50% of penile cancer cases. The virus, which has over 200 types, spreads mainly through sexual contact and affects both male and female reproductive organs. HPV-related cancers in men include penile, oropharyngeal, and anal cancers, while women face cervical, vulvar, vaginal, oropharyngeal, and anal cancers.
Wan urged the Executive Yuan to swiftly implement the expanded vaccination program, noting that the percentage of men contracting oropharyngeal cancer has now surpassed that of women contracting cervical cancer.
As of May 2024, over 140 countries have implemented HPV vaccination programs, with more than 70 adopting gender-neutral policies, including the U.S., U.K., France, and several African nations. Taiwan aims to join these ranks by securing the necessary funding and rolling out the program by 2025.