CDC panel recommends HPV vaccination for boys

ATLANTA — An advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that all boys ages 11 and 12 years old get vaccinated against human papillomavirus, the CDC said Tuesday.

The agency said the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted for recommending routine vaccination of boys with three doses of HPV4 to protect against the virus. The vaccination is able to prevent such HPV-related conditions as cancer and prevent the spread of the virus to sexual partners. The recommendation is still subject to the CDC's approval, the agency said.

The CDC already recommends the routine vaccination of girls and women ages 9 to 26 years against the virus.

Two HPV vaccines currently exist on the market: Merck's Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix.

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