South Africa health department faces call on boys’ HPV shots after 3.6M girls vaccinated

Professor Colleen Aldous urged South Africa's health department to assess human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for boys in a Spotlight opinion published by AllAfrica on Oct. 29, after 3.6 million girls were vaccinated since 2014.

Any change would extend a school-based programme still missing some girls: 428,395 girls received a dose in February-March, or 90.6% of that campaign's target of 472,658.

HPV is a virus whose persistent cancer-associated strains are usually discussed in relation to cervical cancer. Aldous said those strains can also cause anal, penile and oropharyngeal cancers, affecting parts of the throat.

"Boys therefore have a direct interest in protection," Aldous said in the Spotlight opinion.

The opinion pointed to the World Health Organization's prequalification of Cervavac, a recombinant quadrivalent HPV vaccine for girls and boys aged 9 through 26 years. WHO prequalification means United Nations agencies can procure it.

Aldous said the regulatory step does not mean South Africa has registered or bought Cervavac, changed its vaccination schedule or agreed to include boys. She said it should prompt scrutiny of what South Africa can procure and who its programme should protect.

South Africa launched its HPV vaccination programme in 2014, and it now includes girls in public, private and independent schools. Public health researchers evaluating the programme found infections with HPV types 16 and 18 were 83% lower in a post-vaccine group than in a similar pre-vaccine group.

Cervavac targets HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. South Africa's government currently procures GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix for the national HPV vaccination campaign, and that vaccine protects against types 16 and 18.

Aldous said the February-March vaccination figure should not be presented as coverage of all eligible girls nationally. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi's July 16 parliamentary reply also referred to catch-up vaccination and private and independent school vaccination scheduled for August and September.

The national framework recorded more than 11,000 new cervical cancer cases and nearly 6,000 deaths in 2022, alongside cervical screening coverage of 38.7% in 2024. Aldous said vaccination prevents new HPV infections but does not treat established infection or existing cancer.

An economic assessment of adding boys should include male cancers, genital warts, effects on cervical cancer, vaccine price, delivery costs, expected uptake and assumptions about duration of protection, Aldous said.

The final decision rests with the National Department of Health. The National Advisory Group on Immunisation advises the minister and department on vaccine evidence, schedules and new vaccine introductions, but does not set or fund national policy, Aldous said.

Spotlight said the article appeared on its opinion pages and that the views were not necessarily shared by its editors. The outlet disclosed that Cervavac was developed in part with Gates Foundation support and that Spotlight receives Gates Foundation funding while saying it is editorially independent.

Source: opinion article, Spotlight via AllAfrica, Oct. 29, 2026