A recent study from the Karolinska Institutet reveals that vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) significantly reduces the risk of developing severe precancerous lesions in the vulva and vagina. Published in JAMA Oncology, the research emphasizes the importance of administering the HPV vaccine before the age of 17 for optimal protection.
The study, which analyzed data from over 770,000 women born between 1985 and 1998 and residing in Sweden from 2006 to 2022, demonstrates a clear link between the quadrivalent HPV vaccine and a decreased incidence of high-grade lesions. This vaccine protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18, which are known to cause various cancers and precancerous conditions in the genital area.
Researchers utilized Swedish health registries to track the health outcomes of participants, comparing those who received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine with those who remained unvaccinated. The findings show that women who were vaccinated had a 37 percent lower risk of developing severe lesions compared to their unvaccinated counterparts. Notably, the protection was even stronger for women vaccinated before the age of 17, who experienced a 55 percent reduction in risk.
“The results highlight the importance of offering the HPV vaccine to girls at an early stage in life, before they become sexually active,” stated Yunyang Deng, the study’s first author and postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet.
Implications for Public Health Policy
The Swedish public health policy currently offers the HPV vaccine to all children in middle school, aiming to curb the incidence of cervical cancer and related conditions. The study’s findings underscore the need for continued advocacy for early vaccination, particularly given the significant health benefits observed.
In addition to examining the effectiveness of the quadrivalent vaccine, the researchers plan to investigate the efficacy of different HPV vaccines and the longevity of their protective effects. “We also want to study the vaccines’ effect on other HPV-related cancers, including in men,” said Jiayao Lei, assistant professor at the same department and lead researcher of the study.
The research was conducted in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Sweden and Karolinska University Hospital, and it received funding from reputable organizations including the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Society, and the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. The researchers reported no conflicts of interest in their findings.
The Importance of HPV Vaccination
HPV is a group of viruses with several types, among which types 16 and 18 are responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases. These types are also linked to other cancers such as anal, throat, vulvar, vaginal, and penile cancers. Numerous HPV vaccines have been developed, all of which provide protection against HPV types 16 and 18, albeit at varying levels of efficacy.
The findings from the Karolinska Institutet study serve as a critical reminder of the ongoing need for vaccination programs aimed at preventing HPV-related diseases. By increasing awareness and accessibility to the HPV vaccine, public health initiatives can significantly reduce the burden of these severe health issues in the coming generations.
