(dailyRx)
There’s been a lot of confusion around human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination lately. The latest news actually simplifies the recommendations.
The National Cancer Institute now says that three rounds of the HPV vaccine Cervarix are no longer necessary. Instead, two shots are adequate to protect young women from cervical cancer caused by the virus.
The new recommendations come after the results of a four-year, community based clinical trial conducted in Costa Rica.
The Costa Rica Vaccine Trial examined the effectiveness of Cervarix in 7,466 women aged 18-25 who received either the vaccine or a Hepatitis A vaccine, which was used as a control.
During the four-year follow-up, researchers found that two doses offered the same protection against HPV 16 and 18 as three doses. A single dose offered some protection, but is not considered adequate because vaccines of this nature require boosters.
The majority of deaths from cervical cancer occur in poorer countries. The disease is caused by caused by infection with HPV.
Lead researcher, Aimée R. Kreimer, Ph.D, investigator in NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, says these findings may not translate to all populations, including those women with HIV, those who are malnourished or have other diseases.
Cervarix is one of two vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The other vaccine, Gardasil, is still administered in three doses over a six month period.
The vaccination program is recommended for girls, starting at the age of 11 or 12.
This study was published online Sept.9, 2011, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Cervical Cancer/HPV
Each year in the United States, 11,000 women are newly diagnosed with cervical cancer, and over 4,000 will die from it. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are the result of infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual contact.
Not all strains of HPV cause cervical cancer, as some cause genital warts, and some have no symptoms at all. In the case of cancerous strains, the virus causes cellular changes in the cells of the cervix which can lead to cancer.