WATCH: BC has a comprehensive vaccination program against HPV, but it’s only free for girls. And that’s not going over well with 11-year-old twin brothers from New Westminster who may also be at risk. Tanya Beja explains.
VANCOUVER – Two Grade 6 students from New Westminster are on a mission to get the HPV vaccine offered for free to boys.
The twin brothers, Elliot and Nelson Roy, say boys and girls should be offered the vaccine for free. Currently the vaccine is offered to girls from Grades 6 to 9, but boys have to pay for it.
The goal of the vaccine is to cut down on cancer in women, but in men, HPV is associated with cancers of the mouth, nose, throat, anus and penis. HPV is responsible for 70 per cent of all cervical cancers in women.
“We first heard about it on a documentary called Nova that we watch every Friday night and it was all about vaccines and at the end it showed that there is an HPV vaccine that can prevent cancer,” says Elliot.
The duo then decided to write a letter about the issue to their local newspaper, which ended up making the front page.
“There have been many times when our family has had cancer and we’ve always thought ‘wouldn’t it be great if there was a cure for cancer?’ And there is one here but it’s not being offered to us so we found that a bit disturbing,” says Elliot.
Nelson says even though he doesn’t like needles he wishes he could be offered the vaccine for free.
“I mean vaccines hurt but then I’m good and if I’m lucky it would prevent me from getting the HPV and prevent me from getting cancer,” he says.
“It’s better to get three needles now instead of 100 when I get cancer, if I got cancer.”
The vaccine is offered free of charge to boys in Alberta and P.E.I. To vaccinate both boys in B.C. it would cost their parents about $1,000.
“I’m hoping that this will lead to boys being able to get it for free or having boys and girls pay the same amount to get it,” says Elliot.
B.C.’s Health Minister says the province is still weighing the evidence but a cost-benefit analysis suggests to them that at this point the vaccine should only be offered to girls.
VIDEO: Sexplainer- Understanding the HPV vaccine:
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