Two New Westminster brothers won’t drop their human rights complaint against the B.C. government until they get the same access to free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations as their female counterparts.
Glenbrook Middle School Grade 8 students Nelson and Elliot Roy launched their complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal in December 2014 after they found out in Grade 6 that they weren’t eligible for the free shots under the province’s publicly-funded immunization program.
The government recently announced it was expanding the program to include Grade 6 boys starting in September, but boys like Nelson and Elliot, who weren’t eligible for the free shots in Grade 6, won’t be getting free catch-up shots – unlike the girls in their class.
“Girls missing their HPV immunization in Grade 6 remain eligible to receive the publicly funded vaccine to age 26 years of age,” said Health Ministry media relations manager Lori Cascaden in an emailed statement. “Boys past Grade 6 can be vaccinated, but the cost will be outside of the publicly funded immunization program.”
That’s not good enough for the twins’ dad, Michel.
“When Nelson and Elliot filed their complaint, they argued that their own human rights as well as every other boy in the province were violated two years ago, and nothing about that has changed,” he told the Record. “It looks like, moving forward, the government is at least part way there, but I don’t think they’re all the way there.”
For now, the boys still face costs in the range of $300 to $400 for a series of catch up shots.
While HPV is most commonly associated with cervical cancer in women, HPV infections that don’t go away can also cause cancers of the anus, rectum, mouth, throat and penis in men.
Recent Canadian Cancer Society statistics show malignant tumours in the mouth and throat caused by HPV have risen dramatically among men and could even surpass the rate of HPV-induced cervical cancer in women.
When it comes to decisions about adding, expanding or removing immunization programs from the publicly-funded schedule, the government relies on recommendations from B.C.’s communicable disease policy advisory committee, which is made up of representatives from the five regional health authorities, the First Nations Health Authority, and health protection directors from the Ministry of Health.
“The committee will consider any possible further expansion to the HPV immunization program, such as a catch-up program, alongside its review of other new or improved vaccines in the coming year, prior to making its recommendations to government,” Cascaden said.
Michel, however, doesn’t understand why catch-up shots for his sons and their male classmates haven’t been included in the program change right from the start.
“One assumes that the rationale for changing this whole policy was science and public health, so that doesn’t make any sense,” he said.
