Shanghai rolls out HPV vaccine service for males

Shanghai has rolled out human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine services for men after China's National Medical Products Administration approved the use of this vaccine in men earlier this month.

Gardasil, U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck's vaccine, is now the first and only HPV vaccine authorized for use in men in China, according to the company.

Three other HPV vaccines are available in China currently but they only target women.

The recent approved HPV vaccine is available for males aged 9 to 26 to help prevent certain HPV-related cancers and diseases.

"We also suggest males who smoke or have low immunity to have the vaccination," said Xu Ling, director of the Central Hospital of Minhang District in Shanghai.

Xu also expressed the hope that the vaccination age range will be expanded soon.

The infection peak of HPV-related diseases is between the age of 18 to 24, so the suggested vaccination age is between 9 and 26, according to Huang Zhuoying, director of the Immunization Planning Institute of Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Now the HPV vaccine is available at many community clinics and private hospitals in Shanghai," she said.

A nine-year-old boy received the HPV vaccine at a hospital in Shanghai on Thursday, becoming the first recipient of such vaccine in the city's Yangpu District.

"I did some research on HPV vaccines before I took my son here. I've also received a HPV vaccine myself. Now I know that this vaccine is for males," said the boy's mother.

Getting vaccinated against HPV is not only responsible for the health of children, but also reduces the risk of viral transmission, which offers protection for the health of those around them, she said.

HPV is regarded as one of the world's major public health issues, as it not only causes cervical cancer in women but can also lead to various malignant tumors in men, said Professor Chen Xi, who works with the center for disease control and prevention of central China's Hunan Province.

According to the National Health Commission, vaccinating men is also important for HPV prevention. The target population of the HPV vaccination is primarily women in China. While vaccination of women provides some cross-protection for men, relying solely on this is insufficient.

Laura Fernandez was sworn in on Friday as Costa Rica's president for a four-year term during a ceremony at the National Stadium in San Jose.

Fernandez, 39, received the presidential sash from outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves before a crowd of about 20,000 people, including foreign dignitaries.

She previously served as minister of national planning and economic policy, and later as minister of the presidency.

Running as the candidate of the Sovereign People's Party, she won Costa Rica's presidential election on Feb 1.

In her first speech as president, Fernandez said her government would fight crime and prevent drug trafficking from infiltrating state institutions. She also announced plans to inaugurate a new "mega-prison" and one of the world's most modern police surveillance centers.