HPV vaccine sees cervical cancer rates cut by almost 90% in women who had it, new study shows

Cervical cancer rates are almost 90% lower in women vaccinated against HPV, a new study has found.

Women offered the vaccine between the ages of 12 and 13 were found to have cancer rates 87% lower than in previous generations, according to a study published in The Lancet.

Researchers also found a reduction of 62% in women vaccinated between ages 14 and 16.

The first generation of women, who were offered “catch-up” jabs aged between 16 and 18, were found to have a 34% reduction in cervical cancer rates.

Professor Peter Sasieni, from King’s College London and one of the authors of the paper, told Sky News some of the results were “almost too good to be true”.

“Everything is on target to be preventing essentially all cancers from HPV 16 and 18 in vaccinated women,” he said.

He said there was also “some cross-protection” for other cancers caused by the human papillomavirus and “some protection, although much less, to women of the same age who are not actually vaccinated”.

He continued: “There is a lot of vaccine hesitancy going on these days.

“People who are opposed to these vaccines can no longer say this vaccine doesn’t prevent cancer because this makes it absolutely clear it is having a dramatic effect on cervical cancer incidents.”

By Megan Byrnes

https://news.sky.com/story/cervical-cancer-rates-cut-by-almost-90-in-women-who-had-hpv-vaccine-new-study-shows-12458846