HPV Vaccination: A Key Strategy for Cancer Prevention
In France, HPV causes approximately 6,300 cases of cancer each year—including cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, penile, vulvar, vaginal, oral, and laryngeal cancers—accounting for 2% of all new cancer cases, 35,000 precancerous lesions of the cervix, and at least 50,000 genital warts in people under 30. All 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer are attributable to HPV infections. Cervical cancer prevention is based on a combination of two complementary strategies: vaccination of 11- to 14-year-old girls against HPV and organized cervical cancer screening for women aged 25 to 65. In France, the vaccination coverage rate (VCR) for two doses of the HPV vaccine is less than 25%, whereas it exceeds 80% in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia, and other countries. This low VCR can be attributed to mistrust in these vaccines, particularly regarding their effectiveness and safety. However, more than 10 years after their introduction, HPV vaccines have already demonstrated, in many countries, their effectiveness against HPV infections, genital warts, and precancerous cervical lesions. Furthermore, no link between the vaccines and autoimmune diseases has been established, either by national or international surveillance authorities or through scientific publications, following the distribution of 200 million doses worldwide. As the International Papillomavirus Society has stated that the combination of high HPV vaccination coverage and high participation in cervical cancer screening, combined with appropriate treatment, can lead to the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem, it is important to better communicate the scientific findings in order to foster a better understanding of the benefits of vaccination.
Author(s): Rousseau Sophie, Gaillot-de Saintignon Julie, Barret Anne-Sophie
Publishing year: 2019
Pages: 529-534
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