Proper Vaccination Can Reduce Cervical Cancer Cases: Study

The human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted virus. Carriers of this fatal virus generally pass it on to their female partners unknowingly through unprotected sexual activity. In females, HPV infection is a known cause of cervical and uterine cancer.

Researchers and pharmaceutical companies have claimed success in evolving a new vaccine that can cut cervical cancer deaths upto 76%. Merck and Glaxo claim that their respective vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix offer more protection against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) than initially thought.

The first vaccine for HPV, Gardasil, was approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 8, 2006. Authorized to be administered on females between the age of 9 to 26 years (12 calculated to be the key age of vaccination), the vaccine provides protection against four types of HPV viz type 6, type 11, type 16 and type 18. HPV of type 6 and type 11 account for 70 percent of cervical cancer cases whereas types 16 and 18 account for about 90 percent of genital growths.

To be administered in three doses, Gardasil is 100% effective in preventing cervical cell changes associated with HPV and nearly 100 % effective in preventing genital warts.

GlaxoSmithKline has also come with its vaccine Cervarix that provides safety from two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) which account for about 70 percent of cases of cervical cancer.

GlaxoSmithKline claims if 100% coverage is achieved by vaccination of all girls aged 12 years, the chances of deaths caused by cervical cancer reduce by up to 76% whereas if 80% vaccine coverage is achieved, the chances of death can reduce by up to 61 percent.

Discovery of new drugs to fight Cervical Cancer is good news. However the findings should be taken with a pinch of salt. The cost of vaccination is exorbitant and the vaccines do not provide protection from all types of HPV.