Giving the HPV vaccine to boys is not yet value for money, research from the University of Otago has found.
Until the vaccine price drops, the focus should be on increasing HPV uptake among girls, the university's Wellington campus researchers say.
Another cost-saving strategy would be using two doses rather than three.
Study co-author Associate Prof Nick Wilson said if New Zealand vaccinated boys, there would probably be an ''opportunity cost'' of not funding interventions that achieved a bigger ''bang for our buck''.
The vaccine has been credited around the world for dropping rates of genital warts and some types of pre-cancer.
It is also likely to prevent a range of other genital cancers, and head and neck cancer.
The study was published in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases.
