SDLP Health Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA has called for the HPV jab for boys to be introduced in the North of
Ireland.
He made the call following the recent policy decision in England.
Mr Durkan said: “We need to bring the North of Ireland into line with the HPV decision on provisions made in England, Scotland and Wales.
“Whilst girls aged 12 to 13 are eligible for the vaccine, it does not go far enough.
“We have seen huge successes under the girls’ programme which has already reduced HPV related diseases here, in particular the cancer-causing types.
“It is essential to extend this programme to boys and provide what could prove to be life-saving immunisations. Protecting both women and men could help to make cervical cancer and other HPV related diseases a thing of the past.
“The failure to implement this policy in Northern Ireland is yet another example of the lack of equality of access to treatments suffered by patients here.
“None of these inequalities can or will be addressed in the continued absence of an Executive here,” added the Foyle MLA.
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