HPV Vaccination Change Is A Good Thing, Says British Dental Health Foundation

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Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Dentistry
Article Date: 29 Nov 2011 - 7:00 PST

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The Government's plan to switch its Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination from "Cervarix" to Gardasil" from Sep. 2012, has been welcomed by the British Dental Health Foundation.

The leading oral health charity believes that the novel vaccine will deliver increased health benefits and prevent genital warts.

In 2010, 75,000 individuals were diagnosed with genital warts, according to the Health Protection Agency. Already, the vaccination program helps save the lives of approximately 400 individuals with cervical cancer each year.

In recent years HPV has been increasingly associated to the increase in mouth cancer cases and neck, genital warts, anal and penile cancers. Last week after following advice from experts in the U.S., the British Dental Health Foundation called for the vaccination program to be extended to boys.

According to members of the 'Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)', the health benefits as well as the cost-benefit examination of the vaccination justify its population-wide extension to boys and young men.

Even though HPV is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), awareness of HPV is considerably lower than other common STIs.

In the UK in 2010, a total of 482,696 new STI cases were reported. It is believed that at least 50% of sexually active adults will get HPV at some period in their lives.

In the U.S., it is estimated that approximately 20 million individuals are infected with HPV each year and approximately 7,000 HPV associated cancers affecting men.

According to some of the most recent research in the U.S., vaccinating young men prevents 90% of genital warts. Furthermore, other evidence suggests that the vaccination is 75% effective in preventing anal cancers amongst gay men.

Dr Nigel Carter, Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, explained:

"The evidence suggests that Gardasil will not only help prevent cervical cancer, but also work against other strains of the HPV virus including genital warts which affects 75,000 people in the UK.

The change in vaccine also strengthens the benefits it can bring to young men who are currently left unprotected against the cancer-causing virus. We hope the switch to Gardasil is the first step to extending the population-wide vaccination program to boys as soon as possible."

Written by Grace Rattue


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