The HSE has announced it is expanding the catch-up initiative for HPV vaccinations.
The Laura Brennan HPV Catch-up Vaccination Programme offers the jab free of charge to those who were eligible for the vaccine as part of the school immunisation programme, but did not avail of it at that time.
The catch-up programme, named in honour of HPV vaccine campaigner Laura Brennan, allows all eligible males and females who have not yet got the vaccine to do so via a HSE vaccination clinic.
The expansion means all unvaccinated students from second to sixth year in secondary school can get the vaccine, as well as all unvaccinated males who have left secondary school but who are 21 or younger at the point they are offered the vaccine.
The programme will also continue to cover all unvaccinated females who have left secondary school and are 24 or younger on the date of the vaccination offer.
Appointments to receive the vaccine can be made through the HSE website, with the programme running until the end of 2023. Further information on the vaccine and HPV is also available on the HSE website.
The HSE's national immunisations lead Dr Lucy Jessop explained: "The HPV vaccine has been offered to girls in first year in secondary school since 2010. This is because the most common cancer caused by the HPV virus is cervical cancer.
"However, the HPV virus can cause other cancers and conditions that can affect boys and men, and since September 2019, boys have also been offered the HPV vaccine.
"When HPV infections don’t go away by themselves, they can cause certain kinds of cancer to grow. In males, these include oropharyngeal cancer, anal cancer and penile cancer."
Dr Jessop added that most people only need one dose of the HPV vaccine and said the more young people vaccinated the better the spread of HPV infection can be controlled.
