This is great news! What with the soon to be Drumpf presidency, we're going to see a war on science such as Harper only dreamed of. The Donald is a vaccine skeptic who has tweeted his belief that vaccines cause autism, and stated how he demanded an "alternate" vaccine schedule for his youngest, Baron.
My girls are now 18 and 21. When they got their HVP shots, it was only available for girls. Now Ontario funds it for all children.
ETA: Yesterday the BC government annoounced it will be giving free HPV vaccinations to grade 6 boys as well as grade 6 girls starting in September of the 2017-2918 school year. The vaccine is already offered to boys, as well as girls, in Alberta, PEI, Nova Scotia in 2015 and Ontario 2016.
A BC Liberal policy that heps society is an improvement, even if this is a BC election year and even if it is a response to two Grade 6 brothers who filed a human rightrs complaint because boys were being discriminated against by not getting free vaccinations like girls. However they need a catchup program to deal with the boys who previously failed to get the vaccine when they were in Grade 6.
B.C. will begin providing the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to Grade 6 boys beginning in September 2017.
The vaccine will be provided as part of the regular school-based, publicly funded immunization clinics. Two doses will be given at least six months apart, as it is to Grade 6 girls.
Health Minister Terry Lake announced the extension of the program, saying the move is to improve protection against a range of HPV-caused cancers that affect both men and women.
"We've targeted the program to Grade 6 girls and now Grade 6 boys to better promote the broad coverage needed for effective herd immunity," he said in a statement.
"The HPV vaccine is most effective when administered before a child is first exposed to the virus and will help protect them from HPV-related cancers and other serious health problems."
The school immunization program will use the Gardasil 9 vaccine, which provides protection against nine types of HPV.
Not a woman-only concern
HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, with three out of four sexually active people contracting the virus at some point in their lives.
Often HPV infections will clear on their own and most don't show any symptoms but can pass the virus on to others unknowingly.
In other cases, cells infected with the virus can become cancerous over time or cause genital warts.
Perry Kendall, B.C.'s provincial health officer, said that even though the most common cancer caused by HPV is cervical, the virus should be a concern for both men and woman.
"Your son can pick up HPV from a woman who isn't vaccinated and pass it on to another woman. While most people will clear HPV, some will go on to develop throat cancer, rectal cancers, as well as genital warts, which are quite unpleasant," he said.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-extends-free-hpv-vacc...
