A new nationwide study from Karolinska Institutet shows that HPV vaccination offers protection against cervical cancer for at least 18 years, with no signs of decreasing effectiveness over time. The findings were published in The BMJ.The study followed more than 926,000 girls and women born between 1985 and 2001, of whom over 365,000 had received the HPV vaccine. During the follow-up period, 930 cases of invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed, including 97 among vaccinated individuals.Researchers found that women vaccinated before the age of 17 had nearly an 80 percent lower risk of developing cervical cancer compared to those who were not vaccinated. Even those vaccinated at older ages showed a significantly reduced risk. Importantly, the data revealed no evidence of waning protection throughout the 18-year follow-up period.The study also highlights the impact of school-based vaccination programs. Women who received the vaccine through school health services had a 72 percent lower risk of cervical cancer compared to older groups who had to arrange vaccination themselves.Researchers will continue to monitor long-term protection and examine the vaccine’s effects on other HPV-related cancers in both women and men.
Source:Karolinska Institutet
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