New study supports benefit of GARDASIL for males

27 October 2011

New study supports benefit of GARDASIL for males

Results of a US study, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), support the growing body of evidence that GARDASIL® helps prevents not just females, but also males from developing certain human papillomavirus (HPV) related pre-cancers, cancers and other disease.

“It has already been demonstrated that GARDASIL vaccination in males reduces HPV infection and significantly reduces genital warts. Now we have the anal pre-cancer reduction data which further supports the benefit of male vaccination with GARDASIL” says Dr Min Lo, Auckland Sexual Health Physician.

In the recent pivotal study involving 4,065 healthy boys and men aged 16 to 26 years, published in NEJM earlier this year, GARDASIL was 90.4% effective in reducing external genital lesions caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 181.

In addition the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) announced on Wednesday that they had voted to recommend that boys 11 to 12 years old be vaccinated routinely with GARDASIL reflecting the HPV disease burden in males.

The Committee also recommended that GARDASIL be administered to males 13 to 21 years of age who have not previously been vaccinated or have not completed the three-dose series, and that the vaccination series can be started at age nine years at the discretion of their GP.

“These new recommendations for use in males mark another important step in helping to protect more people from the HPV related cancers and disease” says Ron Jones, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. “Also at the recent 27th International Papillomavirus Congress in Berlin universal HPV vaccination was widely discussed and there is growing evidence to support routine male vaccination.”

In New Zealand GARDASIL is indicated, but not funded, for males aged 9 – 26 years of age for the prevention of external genital lesions and infection caused by HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18.
GARDASIL is most commonly known for its role in the prevention of cervical pre-cancers and cancer also caused by HPV.

Males who wish to undertake GARDASIL vaccination can do so by visiting their GP and paying for it.

GARDASIL is free to all females born after 1 January 1990*, also through their GP and in some areas via a school-based programme for girls in Year 8.

*Girls born in 1990 or 1991 who have started their vaccine course before 31 Dec 11 will still be eligible for FREE vaccination on their remaining shots. Girls born on or after 1 January 1992 will continue to be eligible for FREE vaccination. Please refer to the Ministry of Health for the eligibility criteria for girls younger than 11. A patient charge applies for all others outside this range.

ENDS

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