Denmark close to wiping out leading cancer-causing HPV strains through vaccination

“Denmark is on track to wipe out the most dangerous strains of HPV. New data shows the vaccine has all but wiped out HPV16 and HPV18. It’s a powerful proof point for what widespread vaccine coverage can do,” notes a historian.

The GAVI website adds:

The research found that infection with the high-risk HPV types (HPV16/18) covered by the vaccine has been almost eliminated.

“Before vaccination, the prevalence of HPV16/18 was between 15 and 17%, which has decreased in vaccinated women to less than one percent by 2021,” the researchers said.

In addition, prevalence of HPV types 16 and 18 in women who had not been vaccinated against HPV was five percent. This strongly suggests that the vaccine has reduced the circulation of these HPV types in general population, to the extent that even unvaccinated women are now less likely to be infected with them – so called “population immunity” – the researchers said…..

After breast cancer, cervical cancer is the most common type of cancer among women aged 15 to 44 years in Europe, and human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause.

At least 14 high-risk types of the virus have been identified, and before Denmark introduced the HPV vaccine in 2008, HPV types 16 and 18 accounted for around three quarters (74%) of cervical cancers in the country.

Initially, girls were offered a vaccine that protected against four types of HPV: 16, 18, plus the lower risk types 6 and 11. However, since 2017, Danish girls have been offered a vaccine that protects against nine types of HPV – including those accounting for approximately 90% of cervical cancers.

A vaccine to save koalas from chlamydia was recently approved. That disease has killed tens of thousands of koalas.

Scientists have developed a rabies vaccine for vampire bats that spreads through grooming: “The vaccine is delivered via a gel applied to one bat’s fur. When others groom it, they ingest the gel and gain immunity. Laboratory studies show this method could effectively protect entire colonies.”