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Switch from quadrivalent to 9-valent vaccine could reduce HPV prevalence
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BALTIMORE — Adoption of the 9-valent vaccine over the quadrivalent vaccine as the primary method of HPV immunization in the United States could further reduce the prevalence of high-risk HPV among women by more than 20%, according to data presented at the Annual Conference on Vaccine Research.
The quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil, Merck; 4vHPV) accounted for 99% of HPV vaccine doses distributed in the U.S. from June 2006 to March 2014, according to Fangjian Guo, MD, PhD, postdoctoral fellow of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and colleagues. Licensed in December 2014, the 9-valent vaccine (Gardasil 9, Merck; 9vHPV) is poised to become the primary HPV vaccine administered in the country. Estimating the prevalence of high-risk HPV types specific to 9vHPV among women is key to understanding its impact on HPV-related disease in the future, they said.
Fangjian Guo
Guo and colleagues accessed 2009-2012 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to conduct a cross-sectional study of 3,474 women. All participants were aged 20 to 59 years and had provided adequate self-collected vaginal swab samples to the NHANES. These data were reviewed to determine HPV prevalence, which was adjusted and compared by age, race, lifetime sex partners, education and other demographic variables.
The researchers’ analysis revealed significant differences in HPV prevalence based on age, ethnicity and the number of reported sex partners in the previous year. Overall prevalence of high-risk HPV of any type was approximately 22% for the entire cohort, but increased to more than 40% for those aged 20 to 24 years. High-risk HPV was most frequently detected among non-Hispanic black participants, and least commonly among non-Hispanic white participants.
While 4vHPV could reduce the prevalence of high-risk HPV types by 13.6%, the data indicated an additional 22.5% reduction could be achieved by switching over to the 9vHPV vaccine. This transition would subsequently reduce the prevalence of cancers related to these high-risk HPV types, the researchers noted, and should be pursued to quickly benefit women at increased risk for infection.
“Considering that 40% of those who received HPV vaccine only received one or two doses, efforts are also needed to increase completion of the full three-dose series,” Guo told Infectious Disease News. – by Dave Muoio
Reference:
Guo F, et al. Abstract P13. Presented at: Annual Conference on Vaccine Research; April 18-20, 2016; Baltimore.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.