A new study has reaffirmed that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provides strong and long-lasting protection against cervical disease, a key precursor to cervical cancer.
According to the research, girls vaccinated at 18 years or younger showed significant protection, with the highest benefits observed in those who received the vaccine at ages 12 or 13. The findings add to previous evidence confirming the vaccine’s high efficacy in preventing cervical pre-cancer and cancer.
Importantly, the latest analysis — conducted by Public Health Scotland in collaboration with the Universities of Strathclyde and Edinburgh — found that the vaccine’s protection remains effective for more than 12 years after administration. The data, drawn from population health records, also showed that women from Scotland’s most deprived areas gained the greatest benefits, helping narrow health inequalities.
Published in the International Journal of Cancer, the study highlights the combined impact of Scotland’s HPV immunisation programme, launched in 2008, and its national cervical screening initiative in reducing HPV prevalence and preventing cervical cancer.
HPV, a common sexually transmitted virus, is known to cause nearly all cases of cervical cancer — currently the fourth-most common cancer among women worldwide.