I have talked at length about the benefits of vaccines, with the most obvious benefit being the prevention of disease. I have touched on immunizations for several different diseases, too, such as mpox, smallpox, COVID, and influenza. However, these are just a handful of the many vaccines that have been thoroughly tested, approved, and are available to protect individuals’ health. Many tend to think about (most) vaccinations as important for protecting one’s health at that particular point in time. For example, an influenza vaccine is intended to protect the recipient from that year’s strain/s of the flu — an immediate threat.
We know that another, somewhat altered influenza vaccine will be needed the following year to protect the same individual from a similar (but altered, as the virus mutates) threat. So, in the case of influenza immunization, the protection it provides is immediate but not long-lasting. The same is true of other vaccines, such as the COVID-19 vaccine, and any vaccine that you may need a “booster” dose at some point.
From extensive conversations I have had with more people than I can count, I have been fascinated to find that — excluding childhood vaccinations — many people think about vaccines in the context that: 1.) most vaccines address short-term, “acute” issues like seasonal illnesses, outbreaks, or epidemics, and/or 2.) most vaccines address problems in the present rather than the long-term. When people think about getting a vaccine, they are thinking about the next 1–5 years, typically not 20+ years.
This leads me to my topic for this piece, which is that vaccines have many more benefits than most people realize, and they can span a lifetime in the case of some vaccines. Today, I’m going to talk about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which is one of the most significant areas of my research.
Approximately 42.5 million Americans are infected with some type of HPV, with at least 13 million new infections every year. There are over 200 types of HPV, and while most HPV infections resolve on their own, persistent infection with high-risk strains (also called types) can cause cancer. Strains of HPV are considered high-risk if they can lead to cancer, and these high-risk types of HPV can cause six different types of cancer in both men and women. These cancers are: vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, oropharyngeal (the back of the throat), and cervical. In this post, I’m going to focus on the impact that HPV vaccination has made and continues to have on cervical cancer. One reason I have chosen this focus is because January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month — so this is a great opportunity to raise awareness!
The basics of cervical cancer
Every year in the U.S., around 11,500 new cases of cervical cancers are diagnosed, and around 4,000 women die from cervical cancer. However, this is just the “tip of the iceberg,” as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, with approximately 196,000 cervical precancers diagnosed each year. These precancers can lead to cervical cancer if left untreated, and both the progression of cervical dysplasia and some treatments for these cervical precancers can be invasive, painful, affect fertility, and potentially increase the risk of miscarriage. Long-lasting infections with high-risk types of HPV cause essentially all cervical cancers and precancers. Two high-risk types of HPV (16 and 18) cause approximately 70% of cervical cancers in the world.
But cervical cancer is preventable!
Nearly all cervical cancers could be prevented by HPV vaccination! Through vaccination, regular screening for cervical cancer, and follow-up treatment when/if needed, cervical cancer could be precluded. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a global strategy for cervical cancer elimination. You read that correctly. We are talking about an actual plan to eliminate a type of cancer. I am including links to the WHO’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative and to the WHO’s global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer below, and highly suggest that you look into them. They are fascinating, exciting, and inspiring — to think we can accomplish something as monumental as eliminating a type of cancer. Australia is on track to be the first country to eliminate cervical cancer, with a goal date of 2035, and is ahead of schedule in meeting its objectives to achieve this.
What else should I know about the HPV vaccine?
The HPV vaccine is safe, effective, and long-lasting. With over 15 years of monitoring and additional research (after passing the multiple clinical trials phases to be approved for patient use), there is extensive data to demonstrate that the HPV vaccine is extremely safe. Also, its safety is continually monitored to ensure that safety is always ensured.
As for its effectiveness, there are plenty of numbers and statistics that demonstrate this, but I will choose just one to highlight here: Since 2006, when HPV vaccines were first used in the U.S., infections with HPV types that cause most HPV cancers have dropped 88%. That is just one of the astounding outcomes we have seen from this vaccine, and only from one of the cancers that it prevents. These outcomes are nothing less than remarkable.
Other Questions?
I don’t know if you are as astounded as I am by the concept that we have the capability and are likely to eliminate a cancer in our lifetimes, but I hope you can sit with that thought and soak in what it means. How many lives will be saved, how many families not be broken by grief, and how much pain and suffering spared.
The vaccine is recommended to start as early as age 9 to complete the 2-dose series by age 12 (it provides the strongest immunity when given at a younger age and before exposure to HPV). Individuals ages 15–26 will need a 3-dose series if they have not been vaccinated to ensure the best immunity. Additionally, adults ages 27–45 who have not been vaccinated should talk to their healthcare providers about receiving the vaccine, as it is approved up to age 45. Both males and females should be vaccinated. Talk to your healthcare provider about the HPV vaccine for you or your children, or your grandchildren. I have personally received the HPV vaccine, and as a mother, I will do anything I can to keep my children safe and healthy. The HPV vaccine is one way I can help keep them healthy even decades from now, so you better believe I am making sure they are protected! As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or requests for topics. And please support cervical cancer awareness this January!
Be Well; Be Kind,
Dr. Casey
Want to Learn More?
For more information about cervical cancer, risk factors, prevention, and related details, I highly recommend the National Institutes of Health’s site here:
https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/causes-risk-prevention
As mentioned above, here are links to the WHO’s information and strategies regarding their Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. It is an amazing concept.
WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative:
https://www.who.int/initiatives/cervical-cancer-elimination-initiative
WHO: Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem:
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240014107
To read Australia’s innovative national strategy and the incredible progress the country is making to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035, click here:
For more about the safety and effectiveness data of the HPV vaccine, the CDC provides great information here:
https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/hcp/vaccination-considerations/safety-and-effectiveness-data.html
Want to see more details of how the HPV vaccine has impacted cervical cancer? Check here:
