Province reminds Sask. parents Grade 6 boys can be vaccinated against HPV
CBC News | Posted: September 8, 2017 4:38 PM | Last Updated: September 8, 2017
$750K expansion of vaccine program to include boys was announced in spring budget
As students begin the new school year, the province is reminding parents that Grade 6 boys in Saskatchewan will be able to receive the vaccine against human papillomavirus for free.
The provincial government approved the expansion of the current vaccine program for Grade 6 girls HPV to include boys as part of the spring budget.
The move cost $750,000. The vaccine program has been offered to girls since 2008.
In total, the province said 7,500 Grade 6 boys and 7,500 Grade 6 girls are now eligible to receive the vaccine for free as part of the school immunization program.
- Sask. expands HPV vaccine program to include boys
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The province warns HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted virus in Canada and is linked to a number of cancers.
"Men seem to be at high risk for head and neck cancers than women, especially due to HPV," Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, told reporters on Friday.
There are more than 100 different types of HPV, but according to the Canadian Cancer Society, the majority of HPV-related cancers are caused by two types that are almost entirely preventable through vaccination.
Province urges vaccinations
In a news release issued Friday, the Ministry of Health said parents are encouraged to make sure their children's vaccines are up to date, saying immunizations for kids and school-aged children are free.
Dr. Shahab said all Grade 6 students should be vaccinated for HPV, meningitis, hepatitis B and chickenpox. He said consent forms for immunizations will be distributed to students.
"It's really important for children to watch out for those consent forms," he said.