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Vaccine reduces HPV prevalence among teen girls by 86% in 10 years
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ATLANTA — Within 10 years of vaccine introduction, HPV prevalence decreased 86% among females aged 14 to 19 years in the United States, and 71% in women aged 20 to 24 years, according to study findings presented at the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, or EIS, conference.
Speaking during a news conference, Nancy McClung, PhD, an EIS officer in the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, called the findings “very encouraging.”
“The HPV vaccine prevents HPV infections that cause cancer and other conditions, and cervical cancer is the most common cancer caused by HPV in females,” McClung said. “The CDC has been monitoring HPV infection among females in the United States since the vaccine was first introduced in 2006.”
According to the study, McClung and colleagues used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to evaluate quadrivalent vaccine (4vHPV)-type prevalence among 4,674 females in the prevaccine (2003–2006) and vaccine (2013–2016) eras overall and by race and ethnicity.
Results showed that among females aged 14 to 19 years, 53.9% received more than one dose of vaccine, including 52.6%, 58.1% and 59.5% of non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black and Mexican American females, respectively. Among women aged 20 to 24 years, coverage with more than one dose was 51.5%, including 58.5%, 45% and 33.8% in non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black (45%) and Mexican Americans, respectively.
In the younger cohort, the 4vHPV-type prevalence decreased from 11.5% to 1.8% from the prevaccine to vaccine era (adjusted PR = 0.14; 95% CI, 0.08–0.24), with steep declines seen in all three groups. In the older cohort, prevalence decreased from 18.5% to 5.3% (aPR = 0.29; 95% CI, 0.15–0.56).
“Importantly, we found that these decreases were being observed across racial and ethnic groups,” McClung said. “These findings show how well the HPV vaccine is working to prevent HPV infection and the potential of HPV vaccination to reduce cervical cancers and other cancers caused by HPV in all women in the future.” – by Caitlyn Stulpin
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
Reference:
McClung NM, et al. Human papillomavirus prevalence among females in the United States, overall and by race/ethnicity, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003–2006 and 2013–2016; Presented at: Epidemic Intelligence Service conference; April 29-May 2, 2019; Atlanta.