"There are men that we are vaccinating at our clinics in North Carolina so we are taking seriously the recommendation that this is a vaccination that is appropriate for both men and women. My sense is that we're protecting both men and women in doing this," she said.
Dr. Marianne E. Felice, professor and chair of the department of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts, Worcester, said in an interview, "Frankly, I think we should just vaccinate all boys. At the division of adolescent medicine at UMass, we are giving the vaccine to boys and most of the parents want their kids to have it. I think if you vaccinate the boys along with the girls, even if they aren't having sex with other boys, this is a way to protect them as well as the girls. They're not going to get warts from someone and then give it to a girl. It's herd immunity."
Disclosures: Dr. Rosenthal disclosed grants from Merck & Co. Dr. Ford, Dr. Felice, and Dr. Remafedi reported no disclosures.