In a groundbreaking revelation, Public Health Scotland has announced that not a single case of cervical cancer has been detected in Scottish women who received the full HPV vaccine at 12-13 years old. This news marks a significant milestone in the fight against one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide.
The HPV immunisation programme, which began in 2008 for girls aged 12-13 in Scotland, has proven to be ‘highly effective’ according to a study published by Public Health Scotland in collaboration with the universities of Strathclyde and Edinburgh. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus typically spread through sexual contact and is responsible for almost all cases of cervical cancer.
Dr Kirsty Roy, a consultant in health protection and co-author of the study, expressed the profound impact of the vaccine, stating, ‘This study involves every woman in Scotland who is eligible for the cervical cancer screening programme and demonstrates the impact of the HPV vaccine in preventing cervical cancer.’ She further emphasized the vaccine’s efficacy, noting that ‘there have been no cervical cancer cases to date in fully vaccinated women who were given their first dose at age 12-13 years.’
The implications of this study are far-reaching.
With regular screening for early detection and treatment, Dr Roy suggests that ‘it is possible to make cervical cancer a rare disease.’ Dr Claire Cameron, another consultant in Health Protection at PHS, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the potential to eliminate HPV-related cancers in the future through continued vaccination and screening efforts.
The HPV vaccine targets several genotypes of the virus, with types 16 and 18 being responsible for approximately 80% of cervical cancers in Scotland. The success of the vaccination program is further underscored by the Minister for public health, Jenni Minto, who acknowledged the ‘huge impact’ the program is having on preventing cancers.
The study shows HPV vaccine works and early vaccination is crucial.
The research monitored the records of approximately 450,000 women, revealing that no cases of cervical cancer were found among those vaccinated before the age of 14. This highlights the critical nature of vaccinating individuals before they become sexually active.
Moreover, the study indicates that even one dose of the vaccine can provide substantial protection against cervical cancer, a finding that has led to a change in the vaccination protocol. Previously, young people needed two injections of the vaccine, but now, based on strong evidence, a single dose is considered sufficient.
The success in Scotland is a clarion call for other countries to follow suit. The high uptake rate of the vaccine in Scotland, close to 90% among students, contrasts with the lower rate of a little over 60% among adolescents in the U.S., where the vaccine is not administered in schools. This disparity underscores the need for increased efforts to promote HPV vaccination globally.
The Scottish HPV vaccination program is a beacon of hope, demonstrating that with widespread vaccination and regular screening, cervical cancer can indeed become a rarity. It is a powerful reminder of the life-saving potential of vaccines and the importance of public health initiatives in combating cancer.
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HPV vaccine stops women in Scotland from getting cervical cancer, study finds
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HPV vaccine study finds zero cases of cervical cancer among women vaccinated before age 14
