Time to consider a targeted HPV vaccination programme for male military recruits

Abstract

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are the most common type of sexually transmitted infection in men but also related to high-risk cancers. This article considers the epidemiology of HPV in the male military population, the UK vaccination programme and the current UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommendations. Military men may not benefit from HPV herd immunity and may have a different risk profile; vaccination may in turn reduce the operational burden of HPV-related disease within this population. Military men may benefit from a targeted vaccination programme, and the paper calls for urgent consideration of approaches that could protect them from acquiring HPV.