The HPV injection is cutting 9 cases of cervical cancer0 percent, a new study finds.
Scientists say the disease, which killed Big Brother star Jade Goody when she was just 27, could be eradicated “in our lifetime” thanks to vaccines.
The study, led by Queen Mary University of London, adds to previous evidence that suggested the shot is most effective when given in Year 8.
It also concluded that the vaccine works in a similar way across the socioeconomic spectrum, with the majority of cases being prevented in more disadvantaged groups.
Until now, there have been concerns that the HPV vaccine could have an uneven impact across society, meaning it does not reach disadvantaged groups where the disease is most prevalent.
Michelle Mitchell, from Cancer Research UK, said: “Today’s news is promising – the HPV vaccination program is paving the way to making cervical cancer a rare disease for everyone.”
The vaccines, which have been given to teenagers since 2008, protect against high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus, which is spread during sex and causes 99 percent of cervical cancers.
In the UK, eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem in our lifetime is possible with continued action to improve access to vaccination and screening for all
Professor Pedro Sasieni
The study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), analyzed the incidence of cervical cancer in more than 650,000 women who received the vaccine between the ages of 12 and 18.
It found that women in their 20s who received the vaccine at age 12 or 13 were 90% less likely to get cervical cancer than unvaccinated women.
Meanwhile, women who received catch-up shots between the ages of 14 and 18 reduced their risk by up to 30 percent.
When researchers compared the effectiveness of the vaccine between socioeconomic groups, they found that it prevented around 190 cases of the disease in the most disadvantaged group and 60 in the richest.
Professor Peter Sasieni, lead author, said: “Our research highlights the power of HPV vaccination to benefit people from all social groups.
“Historically, cervical cancer has had greater health inequalities than almost any other cancer, and there was concern that HPV vaccination might not reach those most at risk.
“Instead, this study captures the enormous success of the school vaccination program in helping to close these gaps and reach people even in the most underserved communities.
“In the UK, eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem in our lifetime is possible with continued action to improve access to vaccination and screening for all.”
There are more than 3,000 cases of cervical cancer each year, but NHS England has committed to permanently eradicating the tumors by 2040 – by blocking the virus.
DECLINE IN VACCINE USE
HPV vaccine coverage fell last year, with 16.8 percent of girls and 21.4 percent of boys not immunized by the end of the 10th year of school.
In 2022, the proportion of unprotected people was 13.5 percent for girls and 18.5 percent for boys.
The HPV vaccine can also prevent cancers of the throat, neck, head, penis, vagina and anus, which can be caused by HPV.
There are dozens of types of HPV and they are very common, with more than eight in 10 people contracting at least one during their lifetime.
Most are harmless, but some contribute to cancer while others can cause warts.
Everything you need to know about the HPV vaccine
The HPV vaccine protects against some of the risky types of HPV that can cause genital warts and cancer.
Gardasil is the HPV vaccine used in the NHS vaccination program since 2012. It protects against nine types of HPV.
For example, it is effective against types 16 and 18, which cause around 80 per cent of cervical cancers in the UK.
This is why it is important that people who have a cervix still have a smear test when invited by the NHS.
Cervical cancer currently claims the lives of 854 people a year – but this number is expected to continue to decline thanks to the vaccine.
There are around 3,200 new cases of this devastating cancer each year, with incidence peaking in women in their 30s.
But the HPV vaccine doesn’t just prevent cervical cancer – it prevents some anal, genital (vaginal and penile), mouth and throat (head and neck) cancers.
These affect both men and women.
Who should accept?
The first dose of the HPV vaccine is routinely offered to 12 and 13 year old girls and boys in the 8th year of school.
The second dose is offered 6 to 24 months after the 1st dose.
If a school-aged child misses their doses, you can speak to the school’s vaccination team or doctor’s office to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
Anyone who missed their shot can receive it until their 25th birthday.
But people who receive their first dose of the HPV vaccine at age 15 or older will need to receive three doses of the vaccine because they do not respond as well to two doses as younger people.
The HPV vaccine used to only be given to girls at risk of cervical cancer when they were older.
But in 2018, it was announced that boys – who can get HPV-related head, neck, anal and genital cancers – would also receive a shot.
Girls indirectly protect boys from HPV-related cancers and genital warts because girls will not transmit HPV to them.
But the program has been expanded to further eliminate the risk of the virus spreading in the future.
Men who have sex with men (gay and bisexual) do not benefit from this indirect protection, so they can also take the HPV vaccine up to the age of 45.
Some trans people can also get the vaccine.
Females assigned at birth would have received one as children. But those assigned male at birth can receive a vaccine if they transition to female and have sex with men.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
