THE HSE SCHEME offering HPV vaccines to young people who were eligible for the jab but did not receive it in school is being expanded to include young men.

The catch-up programme was launched last year to make HPV vaccines available to both girls and boys in secondary education who were previously eligible to receive the vaccine in school but had not yet availed of it, as well as young women up to the age of 25.

It has now been expanded to also include young men up to their 22nd birthday.

From 29 August until 31 December, anyone eligible under the programme can register online through the HSE to receive it.

The scheme is named the Laura Brennan HPV Vaccine Catch-Up Programme in memory of Laura Brennan, who campaigned for higher uptake of the vaccine before she died from cervical cancer in 2019 at the age of 26.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said in a statement today that “it is by increasing HPV vaccination and screening among our population that we will finally reach our goal of eliminating cervical cancer in Ireland”.

The minister encouraged young men to take the opportunity to “protect themselves against a number of cancers caused by HPV”.

HPV can cause genital warts, cervical cancer and penile, anal, oral and throat cancers. 

The vaccine has been offered to girls since 2010 in a school-based programme and was extended in 2019 to boys in first year of secondary school.

Donnelly said that “huge credit” for the catch-up programme is due “to the Brennan family who continue to campaign tirelessly in the memory of their brave daughter Laura”.

“Laura herself was also an incredible patient advocate and her campaigning led to increased uptake of the life-saving HPV vaccine.”

Laura’s parents, Bernie and Larry Brennan, also encouraged young people who are eligible to avail of the vaccine.

“Laura was determined to increase uptake of the HPV vaccine to help protect people from various cancers and eliminate cervical cancer,” her parents said.

“The HPV vaccine is effective in preventing cancer and we encourage everyone who is eligible to take this opportunity to protect their health.”