Page 23 - AM211105

Diabierna, 05 November 2021 AWEMainta.com 23
INTERNATIONAL

HPV vaccine drastically reduces risk of

cervical cancer, U.K. study finds

A study published in the leading medical journal the Lancet found

that the HPV vaccine could cut cervical cancer rates by 87 percent.

The human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccine is
cutting cases of cervical cancer by nearly 90%, the
first real-world data shows.
Cancer Research UK described the findings as
"historic", and said it showed the vaccine was saving
lives. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by
viruses, and the hope is vaccination could almost
eliminate the disease.
The researchers said the success meant those who
were vaccinated may need far fewer cervical smear
tests too.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in
women around the world, killing more than 300,000
each year. Almost nine-in-10 deaths are in low and
middle income countries where there is little access
to cervical cancer screening. The hope is vaccination
will have an even bigger impact in those countries Those pupils are now adults in their 20s. The
than wealthier nations such as the UK. study showed a reduction in both pre-cancerous
growths and an 87% reduction in cervical cancer.
More than 100 countries have starting using the
vaccine as part of World Health Organization plans “The impact has been huge,” said Prof Peter Sasieni,
to get close to eliminating cervical cancer.. one of the researchers at King’s College London.
In the UK, girls are offered the vaccine between the
ages of 11 and 13, depending on where they live. The The reductions were less dramatic when
vaccine has also been offered to boys since 2019. older teenagers were immunised as part of
The HPV vaccine can only prevent an infection, a catch-up campaign. This is because fewer
it cannot rid the body of the virus once it has older teenagers decided to have the jab and
been caught. The viruses are so widespread that they may already have been sexually active.
immunisation has to be aimed at children before
they become sexually active. Overall, the study estimated the HPV programme has
prevented about 450 cancers and 17,200 pre-cancers.
What is the HPV vaccine and who can get it?
Busting the myths around sex virus HPV Prof Sasieni said that was “just the tip of
‘I had no cancer symptoms but a smear saved my life’ the iceberg” because those vaccinated
The study, published in the Lancet, looked at what were still young to be getting cancer, so
happened after the vaccine was introduced for girls the numbers would only grow with time.
in England in 2008.

@BBC @CNN @euronews

Air pollution kills more than seven million US labor market productivity fell Global carbon emissions
people a year according to the Global dramatically in the third quarter dropped by 5.4% when everyone
Climate and Health Alliance of the year, dropping to its lowest level in was lockdown back in 2020.
40 years. It sounds terrible. But there are But as the world returns to normality,
plenty of reasons it might not be a bad scientists have warned we are nearly back
sign for the nation’s economic outlook. at 2019 levels