HPV prevention expanded to male adolescents

National immunization expanded to include 12-year-old boys

“Approach needed from an infectious disease perspective, not a gender perspective”

With the National Immunization Program (NIP) expanding to include male adolescents, Korea’s HPV (human papillomavirus) prevention strategy is shifting from a male-centered approach to a system that prevents HPV in both male and female individuals.

Analysts emphasize the significance of this move, noting that while major countries abroad have been implementing simultaneous vaccination for both genders for several years as part of their strategies to reduce HPV-related cancers, Korea has finally established a foundation for vaccinating male adolescents, albeit belatedly.

On the 20th, MSD Korea held a media session at Seongam Art Hall in Seoul under the theme “A New Standard for HPV National Immunization: Vaccination for Both Genders.”

Starting this month, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has included 12-year-old male adolescents (born in 2014) in the National HPV Immunization Program. Previously, the program only covered female adolescents aged 12 to 17 and low-income women.

This expansion is considered significant because it extends free HPV vaccination, which had been limited to females for the past decade, to include male adolescents. According to the presented materials, the first-dose HPV vaccination rate among male adolescents in Korea stood at just 0.2%. In contrast, rates were 77.7% in Australia, 71.2% in the UK, and 59.0% in the US.

HPV is known to be a virus that can infect both men and women. According to the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS), approximately 5% of all cancer cases worldwide are reported to be related to HPV. While most infections clear up naturally, persistent infection can lead to cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, anal cancer, vulvar cancer, and genital warts.

Dong-hyun Kim, Professor of Pediatrics at Inha University Hospital

Dong-hyun Kim, a professor of pediatrics at Inha University Hospital, stated, “HPV is not just a cervical cancer issue. It is a virus that can also cause anal cancer and genital warts in men. Since it is an infectious disease that affects and spreads among both men and women, it is difficult to approach it with prevention strategies targeting only a specific gender.”

According to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, reported HPV cases in Korea increased from 10,945 in 2020 to 14,534 in 2024. In particular, reported cases among men rose 82.9% during the same period, from 117 to 214 cases. A domestic study of men found that approximately 59% tested positive for HPV DNA.

Professor Kim cited high reinfection risk and low natural clearance rates as characteristics of HPV infection in men.

“HPV is a virus that can infect both men and women, and it is not an issue limited to a specific gender. We need to approach prevention strategies from the perspective of infectious disease, rather than gender.”

He continued, “Men often carry the virus asymptomatically, and the rate of natural clearance is known to be slower than in women. This means transmission may continue repeatedly without the person even being aware of it.“

Experts recommend 11–12 years of age as the optimal age for HPV vaccination. This is because vaccination before sexual debut ensures high immunogenicity, and the 9–14 age group can expect a sufficient immune response with fewer doses than adults.

Professor Kim emphasized that HPV vaccination is not a gender-specific issue, but an infectious disease prevention strategy for both men and women.

The quadrivalent HPV vaccine available through the HPV national immunization program is administered in two doses for those aged 9 to 13 (6–12 months apart)

In particular, study results showed that two doses administered at ages 9 to 13, when immune responses are active, demonstrated non-inferior immunogenicity (geometric mean antibody titers, GMT) against HPV types 16 and 18 compared with three doses in women aged 16 to 26. This highlights the need to secure preventive effects through early vaccination.

Professor Kim said, “When vaccinated before age 15, two doses alone show high immunogenicity compared with three doses in older age groups. It is also meaningful in terms of vaccination convenience because it can be administered at the same time with other vaccines included in the national immunization schedule, such as Tdap and Japanese encephalitis vaccines.”

He continued, “Overseas, countries have already set the eradication of cervical cancer as a national goal based on simultaneous vaccination of both men and women. Korea also needs to begin serious discussions on shifting its HPV prevention strategy, starting with this expansion of the NIP to male adolescents.”