HPV jab averts cervical cancer

A single-dose human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV), especially given to adolescent girls in the age group of 10-14 years, can help prevent cervical cancer, says a new study published in the journal Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics.

The study, conducted at hospitals across India, found that 10 years after vaccination, a high proportion of single-dose recipients still had antibody titers against HPV types 16 and 18 with the proportion being slightly higher among 10-14-year-olds than those aged 15-18.

The main focus of the research is to study the long-term antibody response after a single dose of the HPV vaccine.

The study showed that a single dose jab with a catch-up extended to age 20 will have more significant impact in reducing the lifetime risk of cervical cancer and accelerating elimination of the disease than administering two doses to pre-adolescent girls.