‘Cervical cancer vaccine’ to be free for boys, too, with free vaccination for 12-year-olds starting in May

As early as May, 12-year-old boys will also be eligible to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine free of charge.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on April 16 that it will launch a national HPV vaccination support program for 12-year-old boys starting May 6, 2026. The goal is to strengthen prevention of HPV-related diseases in both sexes by expanding support, previously focused on female adolescents, to males.

The first eligible group under the program will be boys born between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2014. Eligible individuals can visit a nearby designated medical institution or public health center to receive a total of two free doses of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine at 6-month intervals.

HPV is transmitted through sexual contact and can cause cervical cancer in women and anal cancer, oropharyngeal cancer and genital warts in both men and women. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV infection causes 90% of cervical cancers and 70% of anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers.

The HPV vaccine has also been shown to help prevent related diseases, including anal cancer and genital warts, in males. According to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data, the HPV vaccine prevented 89% of genital warts and up to 78% of anal intraepithelial neoplasia in males.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Vaccination Expert Committee recommended expanding national vaccination support to male adolescents, citing the safety and efficacy of the HPV vaccine demonstrated through domestic and international studies and vaccination experience. The HPV vaccine is currently used in national immunization programs in 147 countries worldwide, including 37 of the 38 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

The government plans to begin with those born in 2014 in 2026 and expand eligibility by one grade each year, eventually covering adolescents through age 17. In 2027, those born in 2014 and 2015 will be eligible.

Lim Seung-kwan, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said, "HPV vaccination is an effective way to prevent cancer and related diseases," adding, "We hope that more adolescents will receive vaccination at the appropriate time."