Starting in 2027, 11-Year-Old Boys Will Receive HPV Vaccine
JAKARTA - The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is one of the most effective efforts in preventing cervical cancer, a disease that to date remains a serious threat to women's health in Indonesia.
HPV virus can be transmitted through sexual contact and often does not cause symptoms, so prevention through immunization and early detection is a crucial step to suppress the incidence rate.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin revealed that the government plans to expand the coverage of the HPV vaccine by targeting 11-year-old boys starting in 2027. This policy is taken as a strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer nationally.
According to Budi, although men are not at risk of cervical cancer, they can be carriers of the HPV virus and transmit it to their partners. Therefore, vaccination of boys is considered important to break the chain of transmission of the virus.
"Starting in 2027, HPV vaccines will be given to 11-year-old boys. Even though they will not get cervical cancer, they can carry the virus and transmit it. With wider vaccination, we want to accelerate the prevention of cervical cancer through a massive HPV immunization campaign," said Budi in the World Cancer Day commemoration in Jakarta, as quoted by ANTARA.
In addition to vaccination, the Ministry of Health is also continuing to strengthen cancer screening services. Currently, around 10 thousand health centers throughout Indonesia have been able to serve early detection examinations. The government targets that in the next five years, as many as 40 million women can undergo cervical and breast cancer screening.
"The target is 40 million women in five years. All Indonesian women over the age of 30 must at least undergo cervical and breast cancer screening. If cancer is found early, the chances of recovery will be much greater," he explained.
Budi also emphasized that cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death in women after breast cancer. Therefore, since 2023 the government has carried out a national HPV vaccine program with a target of 2.1 million 11-year-old girls.
"Until now, around 1.9 million women have undergone early detection. This is an encouraging achievement and is close to the target we set," he said.
In the future, the Ministry of Health will also prepare a follow-up strategy for other age groups. 15-year-old girls will be targeted for those who have not received immunization at the age of 11. The government is also studying the possibility of expanding the program for women aged 21.
"To be sure, starting in 2027, 11-year-old boys will also get the HPV vaccine. Hopefully, this step can significantly reduce the number of cervical cancer in Indonesia," concluded Budi.