Taipei: Junior high school boys in Taiwan will be eligible for free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations starting in September, extending the program that currently exists for girls and making Taiwan the first country in East Asia to offer boys the full two-dose series.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) has offered publicly funded HPV vaccinations to all junior high school girls in Taiwan since 2018, as stated by HPA Director-General Shen Ching-fen at a news conference in Taipei. “Starting this September, we will also provide HPV vaccinations to junior high school boys, bringing the total number of beneficiaries [in 2025] to over 200,000,” said Shen, who took office on August 1, succeeding Wu Chao-chun.

Lin Li-ju, head of HPA’s Cancer Prevention and Control Division, highlighted that Taiwan is the first country in East Asia to offer boys the full two-dose HPV vaccination series free of charge. Countries like South Korea and Japan have yet to provide it for boys. The program’s extension is expected to benefit 110,000 boys by the end of 2025.

For those paying out of pocket, each dose of the HPV vaccine costs at least NT$6,000 (US$200.30), and individuals aged 9-14 need two doses to complete the full series. Lin emphasized that anyone, regardless of gender, can contract HPV, with studies indicating a 50 to 90 percent chance of infection in a lifetime.

“About 90 percent of those infected will naturally clear the virus within a year through their immune system, but nearly 10 percent may develop what is known as a persistent infection,” Lin noted. HPV is a DNA virus with more than 200 types, and persistent infection with certain high-risk types can lead to cervical cancer in women, as well as anal, head and neck, and genital cancers in both men and women. Some low-risk types can cause genital warts.

“Studies have shown that vaccination can prevent at least 70 percent of HPV infections,” Lin said, mentioning that full vaccination currently offers protection for at least 10 years. She also noted that vaccination rates among female students entering junior high school have been increasing since the program’s launch in 2018, rising from 75.2 percent in its first year to over 90 percent from 2022 onward.

One reason for the high coverage rate is the administration of publicly funded HPV vaccinations directly in schools, which saves time and increases convenience for students and parents, Lin explained.