Vaccinations Reduced HPV in Both Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Women

A new study of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine reported very positive results. 

This study published on May 31, 2019, in Science Direct, used the changes in vaccine-type HPV (VT) prevalence to evaluate the vaccine’s impact on women, including herd-immunity effects. 

The study reported that within 10  years of HPV vaccine introduction, the VT prevalence decreased 78 percent among 20 to 24-year-old women, and 38 percent in 25 to 29-year-old women. 

Additionally, there were declines in both vaccinated and unvaccinated women, showing evidence of direct and herd protection. 

Herd-immunity protection is when everyone benefits from having a large portion of the population vaccinated against a particular disease. 

This study based on Kaiser Permanente data reported: 

• Among 20 to 24  year-olds in 2012–2013 and 2015–2016, 44% and 64% had a history of at least 1-dose of the HPV vaccine
• The VT prevalence decreased from 13.1% in 2007 to 2.9% in 2015–2016
• HPV 31 prevalence was also lower in the vaccine periods compared with 2007
• VT prevalence in 2015–2016 among 20 to 24  year-olds was lower in both vaccinated, 1.3%, and unvaccinated women, 5.8%
• Among 25 to 29  year-olds, 21%, and 32% had a history of greater than 1-dose vaccination
• VT prevalence decreased from 8.1% in 2007 to 5.0% in 2015–2016
• Non-VT high-risk prevalence was higher in the vaccine periods compared with the pre-vaccine era in both age groups, however, not in 2015–2016 compared with 2012–2013

Recent HPV vaccine herd-immunity news:

• HPV Vaccinations Lead to Reduced CIN2+ Cancer Cases
• Scotland's HPV Vaccination Significantly Reduced Cervical Cancer
• Gardasil Empowers ‘Herd-Immunity’ Cancer Protection

HPV is the world's most prevalent sexually transmitted infection and is associated with life-threatening cancers including cancers of the cervix, anus, penis, vagina, vulva, mouth and throat, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Around 90 percent of cervical cancer cases are HPV-related.

The Gardasil 9 vaccine helps protect girls and women against cervical cancer, which is caused by 9 types of HPV.

Additionally, Gardasil 9 helps protect boys and men ages 9 to 45 against anal cancer and genital warts caused by those same HPV types. 

HPV vaccines can be found in most authorized pharmacies and physician offices in the USA. To schedule a vaccination appointment, please visit this page. 

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides HPV vaccine prices for general information. And vaccine financial support programs can be found at Vaccine Discounts.  

Patient information resources can be accessed from the HPV Awareness 2019 campaign.