Good news from Australia. A group of diseases often cited by proponents of circumcision as justification for that procedure can be prevented by the vaccine that protects from human papillomavirus. It is therefore logical, and of course, less invasive, for both sexes to be vaccinated against HPV to prevent such diseases.
A recent edition of The British Medical Journal contains a report that Australia is to routinely vaccinate boys and girls with benefits for both sexes.
“The move sees Australia become the first country in the world to publicly fund HPV vaccination for boys in a bid to protect against genital warts and anal, penile and throat cancers.
Starting this month, boys and girls alike in Australia will receive three doses of the quadrivalent vaccine Gardasil at ages 12-13, as part of a national, federally funded school based programme. A catch-up scheme will also run for 14-15 year old boys until the end of the school year in 2014.”
We can only hope that the British Government will allow the National Health Service to follow this enlightened policy instead of wasting taxpayers’ money on unnecessary circumcisions.