Region Dalarna is providing free HPV vaccinations to males aged 18–26 (born 2000–2008) to prevent virus-linked cancers. The initiative, six years after boys were first recommended to vaccinate, includes info for high school students and those who have graduated.
Region Dalarna announced free vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV)—Sweden's most common sexually transmitted infection—to males aged 18–26, or those born between 2000 and 2008. The offer targets individuals who missed earlier vaccinations and aims to prevent cancer forms linked to the virus.
"It spreads from the teenage years when you start having sex," says Dalarna's chief infection control doctor Fredrik Rücker. HPV spreads through skin and mucous membrane contact, clears up on its own in most cases, but can cause cell changes and cancer in both women and men.
HPV vaccination has been part of the national program for girls since 2010. Boys have been offered it since 2020, with Folkhälsomyndigheten recommending it up to age 26. It has been six years since the recommendation was introduced for boys, prompting Dalarna to expand free access for this age group.
High school students will receive information from school health services, while those who have graduated can book appointments at primary care centers.
