Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In 2009, the national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, approved the human papillomavirus, HPV, vaccine for 12- to 13-year-old girls to reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer. In 2018, on foot of a NIAC recommendation, the HPV vaccine also became available to boys in first year. Currently, the Department of Health has asked NIAC to consider providing the vaccine to girls and boys who were eligible to receive it in first year but who did not receive it, in addition to women up to the age of 25. Unfortunately, an anomaly exists in that any boy who is in fourth, fifth or sixth year of school at present will not be considered eligible for that expanded programme. While that programme is great and is welcome, I ask the Government to do all it can to address that anomaly.

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