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The Power of Science – A Look at Human Papillomavirus Vaccines

Health Articles 25 April 2022

by Tharien van Eck, AWC Antwerp

What is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?

It is a very common group of viruses, with more than 100 varieties. Some HPV varieties are known to cause genital warts and cancer. Cancers that can be caused by HPV are cervical cancer, anal cancer, vulval cancer, vaginal cancer, cancer of the penis, and sometimes head and neck cancer. HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact, vaginal, anal or oral sex, as well as through the sharing of sex toys. Most of the time, the body will be able to fight the development of HPV infection. But not always! Initial infection can appear as genital, common, plantar or flat warts. It is important to note that nearly all cervical cancers are caused by an HPV infection and that it may take years to develop after the original exposure and infection.

“A large majority of cervical cancer (more than 95%) is due to the human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer is by far the most common HPV-related disease. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be attributed to HPV infection.” – World Health Organisation

How can we protect ourselves and our children against the complications of an HPV infection?

By getting vaccinated!

It took years to research and develop an HPV vaccine. Gardasil® was approved in 2006 by the FDA, with a second-generation Gardasil9® approved in 2014. Cervarix®, manufactured by GSK, also has been approved by the FDA. It is important to state that all three vaccines provide protection against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause most HPV cancers.

The ideal time for the vaccine to be given is before exposure to the virus, therefore before girls, as well as boys, become sexually active. But it is important to state that the vaccine will also prevent genital warts, anal cancers, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, head and neck in women and men; it is therefore valuable for boys to be vaccinated as well. It is also postulated that vaccinating boys will help to protect girls from the virus.

When should the vaccine be given?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that the HPV vaccine be given to girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 12. It’s ideal for girls and boys to receive the vaccine before they have sexual contact and are exposed to HPV. The recommendation is that all 11- and 12-year-olds should receive two doses of HPV vaccine at least six months apart. Research has shown that the two-dose schedule is effective for children under 15. A two-dose regime is not effective in older teens and young adults who begin the vaccine series later; this group should receive three doses of the vaccine.

Regular cervical cancer screening must continue; the intent is not that the HPV vaccine will replace Pap smear tests. Routine screening for cervical cancer through regular Pap smear tests beginning at age 21 remains an essential part of preventive health care.

Data is becoming available now about the value of the vaccination. The UK implemented an HPV vaccination program for teenage girls in 2008. Cancer Research UK published a recent study in The Lancet where it was shown that the vaccine reduced cervical cancer rates by almost 90% in women in their 20s who were offered it at age 12 to 13.

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive is quoted as having said “Results like this show the power of science.”

Good outcomes have also been observed in the US. The CDC stated that “In the 10 years after the vaccine was recommended in 2006 in the United States, quadrivalent type HPV infections decreased by 86% in female teens aged 14 to 19 years and 71% in women in their early 20s.”

A Belgian study stated that “For young girls that are un-screened and not vaccinated, the lifetime risk for cervical cancer in our model would be 1 in 28…, while adding vaccination to screening would bring it further down to 1 in 556 in our model of lifelong vaccine protection.”

Vaccination remains an important aspect of disease management and should always be included in the conversation addressing the prevention of cervical and other cancers caused by HPV.

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