Dramatic drop in cervical disease linked to HPV vaccine

New research in Scotland has suggested that routinely vaccinating girls with the HPV vaccine results in a ‘dramatic’ reduction in cervical disease later on in life.

HPV (human papillomavirus) is a sexually transmitted infection and some strains of the virus are linked to cervical cancer.

Researchers suggest that since an immunisation programme was launched ten years ago, the vaccine has led to a 90 per cent cut in cases of cervical pre-cancer in young women, adding that the effects of the programme had ‘exceeded expectations’.

The research team from a number of universities in Scotland studied screening and vaccination records for 140,000 women who underwent their first cervical screening in the years between 2008 and 2016.

The study concluded that the vaccination programme in Scotland has led to a ‘dramatic reduction in preinvasive cervical disease’.

The study reported “The findings will need to be considered by cervical cancer prevention programmes worldwide.”

In the early days of the vaccination programme, it was believed that the vaccine would eliminate two types of HPV, which are responsible for 80 per cent of pre-cancerous conditions. However, it is now known that it actually knocks out a further three types.

Dr Kevin Pollock from the research team, said the “impressive figures confirm that the HPV vaccine should significantly reduce cervical cancer in the next few years.”

He went on to say “The main message is that the vaccine works. As long as the high uptake continues, the virus has got nowhere to go and it is being eliminated.

“We assessed 140,000 women in this study and because we can link status of vaccination to the disease its impact is indisputable.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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