First real-world data has shown that the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been decreasing cases of cervical cancer by 90%.
According to BBC News, Cancer Research UK describes the findings as “historic” and that the vaccine was in fact, saving lives. All cervical cancers are caused by viruses and there is a great hope that the vaccination could almost eliminate the disease.
A study provided by King’s College London said rates of cervical cancer in women who had the HPV vaccine between the ages of 12 and 13 were 87% lower than unvaccinated women, reports Independent UK.
Euro News further reported that those who received the vaccine between the ages of 16 and 18 had a 34% chance of developing cervical cancer, while those between the ages of 14 and 16 had a 62% reduction.
“It’s been incredible to see the impact of HPV vaccination, and now we can prove it prevented hundreds of women from developing cancer in England,” said the study’s lead author, cancer specialist Peter Sasieni from King’s College London.
The new study was published in the Lancet medical journal and tracked data from the National Health Service (NHS) in England who began offering the Cervarix HPV vaccine to teenage girls in 2008.
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