HIQA begins a health technology assessment (HTA) of extending HPV vaccination to boys

Date of publication:

Following a request from the Department of Health, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has agreed to undertake a health technology assessment (HTA) on extending the national immunisation schedule to include human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination of boys. HIQA’s research will establish the clinical and cost-effectiveness of providing HPV vaccination to boys.

HPV is the virus that causes cervical cancer in women. It is known that there are other cancers associated with this virus that affect both men and women, such as anal, genital and oropharyngeal (throat) cancer. HPV is associated with the development of penile cancer in men, as well as being the cause of genital warts in both men and women.

HIQA’s Director of Health Technology Assessment and Deputy Chief Executive Dr Máirín Ryan said: “HPV infection is the most commonly acquired sexually transmitted viral infection. In most cases it causes no symptoms and is cleared by the body’s immune system. However, persistent infection can lead to the development of cancer.”

Ireland has a nationally funded, school-based, girls-only HPV immunisation programme. This commenced in 2010 with the quadrivalent (Gardasil®) vaccine which protects against four strains of the HPV virus (6, 11, 16 and 18).

Dr Ryan continued: “The HPV vaccine has been proven to be safe. Additionally, it is highly effective at preventing infection with the HPV types most commonly linked with cancer and genital warts in both men and women. This HTA will investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of expanding the HPV vaccination programme to include boys, thereby extending them the opportunity to benefit from the vaccine and increasing HPV immunity in the wider population.”

”HIQA’s assessment will also consider the wider implications of any proposed change to the vaccination programme, such as the budget impact, use of resources, and the ethical and societal implications.”

HIQA is currently forming an expert advisory group comprising representatives from key stakeholder groups who will advise the HTA evaluation team during the course of this assessment.

The final results of the HTA are expected next year and will be submitted to the Minister for Health for consideration.

The Terms of Reference of the HTA are to:

  • describe the epidemiology of human papillomavirus infection (HPV) and HPV-related disease in Ireland
  • review the clinical effectiveness of HPV vaccines
  • review the safety of HPV vaccines
  • review the international literature on the cost-effectiveness of extending HPV vaccination to include boys
  • perform an economic evaluation of the addition of boys to the current immunisation programme
  • examine the effect of HPV vaccine uptake rates among girls on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the addition of boys to the programme
  • estimate the budget impact of any changes to the current immunisation programme
  • estimate the organisational and resource implications of any changes to the current vaccination programme
  • consider any wider ethical or societal implications that the addition of boys to the current immunisation programme would have for patients, the general public or the healthcare system
  • based on this assessment, advise on the extension of the national HPV immunisation schedule to include boys.

Ends.

Further Information: 

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, HIQA
01 814 7480 / 086 2447 623, mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to Editor:

  • Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a highly contagious virus transmitted through sexual contact. HPV does not usually cause symptoms, so people infected with the virus often do not know they have it. The virus is usually cleared by the body’s immune system.
  • There are over 100 different types of HPV. Persistent infection with the most harmful types can cause abnormal cells associated with a number of cancers including anal, cervical, penile, throat, vulval and vaginal cancer. Other types of HPV (HPV 6 and HPV 11) can cause genital warts.