A major new Danish study published in EuroSurveillance has confirmed what many in the medical community have long observed: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination works – and it works for the long term.
The data, from the large-scale Trial23 cohort, show that in women vaccinated with the quadrivalent HPV vaccine at age 14, the most dangerous HPV types, 16 and 18, have nearly disappeared from the population.
In vaccinated women, HPV16/18 prevalence was just 0.4%, 0.3%, and 0.2% across their first three routine cervical screenings – a sustained and dramatic reduction. By contrast, other high-risk HPV types not covered by the quadrivalent vaccine remained common, with prevalence around 30%, reinforcing the need for ongoing screening.
As a gynecologic oncologist, I see the human cost of this virus every day. One case still stays with me: a young woman came to my clinic after her first and only boyfriend – at just 33 years old – was diagnosed with throat cancer caused by HPV. She herself was found to be infected with HPV type 16. This entire chain of events could have been prevented with a simple vaccine given years earlier.
In my work, I have treated patients with HPV-related cancers from every background – secular, religious, ultra-Orthodox – men and women alike. The virus does not discriminate. I have seen it devastate families in every community, regardless of lifestyle or beliefs.
Health road map
The Danish findings provide more than statistics – they give us a public health road map. They show that with widespread vaccination, we can push the deadliest HPV strains to the brink of extinction. The newer 9-valent vaccine now offers even broader protection against more cancer-causing types.
The message I share with all my patients, male and female, is simple:
Get vaccinated – at any age if you haven’t already. The earlier the better, but it’s never too late to protect yourself and your loved ones. If we vaccinate widely enough, we have a real chance of eliminating HPV and the cancers it causes – and to ensure that the kind of stories I hear in my clinic become history.
The writer is director of the Division of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology in the Assuta Medical Centers Network.