According to a Thursday study, cervical cancer rates in British women who had received vaccinations against the human papillomavirus HPV (HPV) fell.
According to The Lancet medical journal, researchers discovered a significant reduction in cervical cancer rates in women who received HPV vaccinations in England.
The authors stated that their study provided the first direct evidence of HPV vaccination with the bivalent Cervarix vaccine's effect on cervical cancer incidence.
With an estimated risk reduction of 87 percent, those who were vaccinated between 12 and 13 years old saw the greatest benefit. The study showed a 34% drop in risk for those who were immunized between 16-18 years old.
HPV, a common sexually transmitted disease, can be prevented and curable.
The World Health Organization launched last year a global strategy for eliminating the disease. It is the most common form of female cancer and kills hundreds upon thousands each year.
The latest study supports the widespread use of HPV vaccines. However, the commentary that came with the results stated that there are issues with the availability and uptake of HPV vaccines.
Maggie Cruickshank, Mihaela Grigore, gynecologists, wrote that even in wealthy countries, like England, where HPV vaccination is free, the uptake of HPV vaccines has not reached the WHO target of 90 percent for girls under 15 years.
"Covid-19 is an additional challenge to delivering HPV vaccination but only adds to a long list, including access to affordable vaccines, infrastructure for low temperature-controlled supply chains, delivery, and waste disposal."
Researchers also found several limitations in the study, such as the fact that cervical cancer is rare in people older than 25, even if there are no vaccines.
Agence France-Presse
