Latest news with #HPVvaccine
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Hundreds of thousands of young people urged to have vaccine that protects against cancer linked to oral sex
Health chiefs are urging the 418,000 under-25s who left school without receiving a life-saving cancer vaccine to come forward for the jab. The HPV vaccine, routinely offered to children aged 12 to 13 in Year 8, protects against human papillomavirus—a common infection linked to several cancers. Around 80 per cent of the population will be exposed to HPV at some point, usually through sexual contact. Children are targeted for vaccination before they have been exposed—with the aim of providing protection through into adulthood. In most cases the virus is harmless, but in some cases it can trigger changes in DNA that lead to cervical cancer, and cancers of the penis and anus. When someone performs oral sex on a partner with HPV, the virus can infect cells in the mouth and throat. The vaccine, which is proven in studies to be highly effective, prevents this from happening. Now, GP practices across England will invite patients aged 16 to 25 to get vaccinated via letters, emails, texts and the NHS App. Experts have previously warned that low uptake of the HPV vaccine is putting children at risk of developing cancer later in life. They believe this may be partly due to a misconception that the jab is only relevant to sexually transmitted infections—and therefore not necessary for children. In the 2023/24 academic year, 76.7 per cent of girls and 71.2 per cent of boys had received the vaccine by Year 10. Uptake in Year 8—when the jab is first offered—also rose slightly on the previous year, by 1.6 percentage points in girls and 2.5 in boys. The new push is part of the NHS's goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, by increasing vaccine coverage and boosting cervical screening rates. It aims to raise uptake among girls to 90 per cent by the same date. Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England's national director of primary care, said: 'This vaccine is vital to our efforts to eradicate cervical cancer in girls and women – but it's just as important for boys, too. 'So if you're eligible for a HPV vaccination or are the parent of a child who is eligible, but didn't get the vaccine at school when they had the chance, I would urge you to come forward when your GP contacts you.' Dr Sharif Ismail, a consultant epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency said: 'We know that uptake of the HPV vaccination in young people has fallen significantly since the pandemic.' This he warned has left 'many many thousands across the country' at greater risk of HPV-related cancers. 'This is a real concern as each HPV vaccine, now just a single dose offered in schools, gives a young person good protection against the devastating impact of these cancers,' Dr Ismail added. 'We're calling on all parents to return their children's HPV vaccination consent forms promptly. 'This simple action could protect your child from developing cancer in the future.' He also urged young adults up to the age of 25, who didn't get the jab to speak to their GP about catch-up options, because 'it's never too late to get protected.' Public Health and Prevention Minister, Ashley Dalton, added: 'If you've missed your vaccination at school. It isn't too late. 'Don't hesitate to make an appointment with your GP. One jab could save your life.' The vaccine can also be given to those up to age 45 with immune-compromised conditions and men who have sex with other men. Previously children were required to get two vaccinations, but as of September 2023 they only need one new jab. The latest HPV vaccine, first introduced in England in 2021, is proven to be more effective. In the long term the jab is predicted to reduce cases of women's cancer by 16 per cent and HPV attributable deaths by nine per cent more than the previous type. Importantly, studies in England have shown that the HPV vaccine stops 90 per cent of cervical cancer cases.
Medscape
11-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
ACIP's June Meeting: Glaring Omissions and Shocking Addition
This transcript has been edited for clarity. This edition of Medicine Matters addresses glaring omissions and a shocking addition at the CDC's June 2025 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kennedy's newly formed ACIP panel met in June 2025. The meeting was originally scheduled to occur over 3 days but was cut down to a day and a half. A highly anticipated discussion and vote on HPV vaccine did not occur. No vote was taken for COVID vaccines. The shocking addition was the inclusion of an inaccurate and outdated presentation about thimerosal that unscientifically affected the subsequent flu vaccine vote. ACIP Vote for Clesrovimab For respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), ACIP did vote 5 to 2 in favor of clesrovimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody for infants. This product was recently approved by the FDA and received a thumbs-up for inclusion in the Vaccines for Children Program (VFC). We already had nirsevimab, but now with clesrovimab, we have an additional way to protect these little ones. New COVID Vaccine Formula and Newly Licensed Vaccines COVID: It's still here, it's not going away, and a lot has been happening in the COVID vaccine space. The FDA announced the new 2025-2026 COVID vaccine formula— a monovalent JN.1 lineage, preferably using the LP 8.1 strain. Two new COVID vaccine products have been fully licensed by the FDA: a protein-based vaccine, Nuvaxovid by Novavax, and Moderna's new lower-dose mRNA COVID vaccine, mNEXSPIKE. Both vaccines are approved for all adults 65 or older. However, among younger people aged 12-64 years, these vaccines are approved only for those who have at least one health condition that puts them at increased risk for COVID. Mixed Messages About COVID Vaccination Leading up to the meeting, there were a lot of mixed messages about COVID vaccination. May 20, 2025 The FDA Commissioner, Martin Makary, MD, MPH, and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Director, Vinayak Prasad, MD, MPH, announced their new evidence-based approach to COVID vaccination during a CBER Town Hall and in a sounding board article published in The New England Journal of Medicine . They discussed requiring additional placebo-controlled trials using saline and said the FDA anticipates it will make favorable risk-benefit findings for vaccination among adults 65 or older and for those 6 months or older with one or more risk factors that put them at high risk for severe COVID outcomes. Both pregnancy and recent pregnancy were on their list of underlying medical conditions that increase a person's risk for severe COVID. May 27, 2025 One week later, HHS Secretary Kennedy issued his own directive and unilaterally removed COVID vaccines from the immunization schedule for healthy children and for pregnant women. He made this announcement on social media. No new evidence was cited to support this decision. Absent from this announcement was any representative from the CDC or ACIP. This HHS directive triggered color-code changes to the child and adult schedule color tables. COVID vaccines for pregnancy were changed to gray to indicate no guidance/not applicable. COVID vaccines for children aged 6 months through 18 years were changed to blue to indicate shared clinical decision-making. June 25, 2025 At the June ACIP meeting, the CDC staff gave updates on COVID epidemiology and vaccine safety and effectiveness. Here are some highlights: Most pediatric hospitalizations (57%) occur in children less than 2 years of age. Most hospitalized children in this age group have no underlying medical conditions. Rates of COVID-associated hospitalizations are highest among infants less than 6 months of age, followed by those aged 6-23 months. Rates of COVID-associated hospitalizations among infants less than 6 months of age are comparable to rates among adults aged 65-74 years. None of the COVID vaccine products are approved for infants under 6 months of age, so protection can only come from maternal antibodies. The majority (89%) of children and adolescents hospitalized for COVID had not received a dose of the most recently recommended vaccine. The vaccine effectiveness update demonstrated that COVID vaccines protect against emergency department and urgent care visits, hospitalization, and critical illness. ACIP recommendations are supposed to be evidence-based. Another ACIP meeting is planned for August/September. Let's hope for a truly evidence-based vote on the new COVID vaccine formula. Misleading Presentation About Thimerosal Now, more about the shocking, inaccurate, and outdated presentation on thimerosal by Lyn Redwood— who was not part of the CDC. Her presentation slides that were originally posted on the ACIP website initially cited a study that didn't exist and did not accurately represent conclusions of other articles that do exist. A CDC review of the evidence debunked thimerosal myths and refuted Redwood's claims. It clarified that all childhood vaccines licensed and recommended in the US have been thimerosal free since 2001, with the exception of some multidose formulations of flu vaccines. For flu vaccines, 96% are already thimerosal-free. Only 4% of flu vaccines — those that come in multidose vials — contain this preservative. Thimerosal is included to prevent growth of harmful bacteria and fungi introduced by multiple needle sticks into the vial. The CDC review of evidence also clarified that thimerosal has been extensively studied over decades, with no evidence that it causes autism spectrum disorder or other neurodevelopmental disorders. This is consistent with the FDA's review of thimerosal in vaccines. The review of the evidence was initially put up on the CDC's ACIP webpage but was then taken down. Methylmercury vs Ethylmercury Concerns about mercury are causing confusion. Thimerosal is 50% mercury by weight, but not all mercury is the same. There is methylmercury and there is ethylmercury. Methylmercury — the kind found in long-lived fish — can accumulate in the body and can be toxic and cause harm if consumed in high doses. But that is not what is in thimerosal. Thimerosal is quickly metabolized to ethylmercury, not methylmercury. Ethylmercury does not carry the same risk and is quickly metabolized and excreted by the body. The panel heard Redwood's inaccurate presentation but there was no opportunity given for a presentation about CDC's updated review and no mention of the FDA's evidence-based assessment. ACIP Vote on Thimerosal in Influenza Vaccinations The new panel reaffirmed routine annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months or older. But when it came to thimerosal, only one ACIP member followed the scientific evidence. The new panel voted to remove thimerosal from flu shots for children, pregnant women, and adults. This vote could have unintended consequences. Manufacturers may now be forced to turn to other, less-studied preservatives to prevent contamination in multidose vials. This decision will also likely reduce the availability of multidose flu vaccine, which in turn may reduce flu vaccine access in some communities. This vote also increases vaccine hesitancy and concern. Future ACIP Initiatives From This New Panel? Comments from the new ACIP chair about future initiatives are very concerning. For starters, he plans to reevaluate the childhood immunization schedule, the birth dose of Hep B, and the use of MMR and varicella vaccines for young children. If ACIP actually follows this course, it will likely upend the child and adult vaccine schedules and sow further mistrust in vaccines. One thing is clear: Mistrust causes vaccine hesitancy, and hesitancy brings more illness and death from vaccine-preventable diseases.
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The Independent
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Young women ‘at risk' of preventable cancer after low vaccine uptake
Low uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among children is increasing the risk of cervical cancer for young women in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reports. Significant regional disparities exist in vaccine coverage, with London showing the lowest uptake rates for both girls and boys, while areas like the South East and Northumberland have the higher rates. The HPV vaccine, typically administered to children in Year 8 or 9, is vital for preventing cervical cancer and also offers protection against other cancers and genital warts. Health experts, including Dr. Sharif Ismail from UKHSA, stress that the vaccine is a powerful tool for cancer prevention and urge parents to ensure their children receive it. NHS England aims to eliminate cervical cancer in England by 2040, a goal contingent on increased HPV vaccination rates and consistent participation in cervical screening.
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Cervical cancer rates soaring in deprived areas after low vaccine uptake
Young women across certain regions of England are facing an elevated risk of cervical cancer, a direct consequence of alarmingly low uptake rates for the preventative human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, health experts have cautioned. Analysis from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) underscores this critical public health concern, revealing that insufficient vaccination among children is leaving many women vulnerable to the disease. The disparity is stark: cervical cancer rates are already 65 per cent higher in England's most deprived areas compared with the least, according to figures from Cancer Research. HPV refers to a group of common viruses, typically transmitted through sexual contact, which often present no symptoms but can lead to various cancers, including cervical cancer. Around 13 high-risk types of HPV are known to cause 99.7% of cervical cancers. The HPV jab is given to boys and girls when they are in Year 8 and is key to wiping out cervical cancer in the UK. Some children receive it in Year 9. The jab also protects against genital warts and head and neck cancers, such as those in the mouth or throat. UKHSA data for 2023/24 in England shows inequalities in uptake of the jab in some regions. By Year 10, HPV coverage in girls was lowest in London (64.9%) and highest in the South East (82.7%). Among boys, it was also lowest in London (58.9%) and highest in the South East (77.3%). Meanwhile, at local authority level, Year 10 vaccination levels in girls ranged from 38.7% (Lambeth in London) to 97.6% (Northumberland). Among boys, it ranged from 28.2% (Lambeth in London) to 92.2% (West Berkshire). The HPV jab delivers a significantly stronger immune response if given before the age of 16, though getting it when older as part of a catch-up programme still creates a strong response. Dr Sharif Ismail, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "The HPV vaccine, now just a single dose offered in schools, is one of the most powerful tools we have for cancer prevention. "Every vaccination represents a young person with better protection against the devastating impact of HPV-related cancers, and we must do more to ensure that no teenage girl or boy, young woman or man is denied that protection no matter where they live. "Although we have seen some increase in the number of young people being vaccinated, uptake is still well below pre-Covid pandemic levels. "Over a quarter of young people - many thousands - are missing out on this potentially life-saving vaccine. "We're calling on all parents to return their children's HPV vaccination consent forms promptly. "This simple action could protect your child from developing cancer in the future." Dr Ismail said any young adult up to age 25 who missed their school jab can speak to their GP about catch-up options. He also urged women to still attend cervical screening to ensure they are being checked for changes that could lead to cervical cancer. In 2023, the then head of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, said cervical cancer would be wiped out in England by 2040. Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: "Thanks to the power of research and the efforts of NHS staff, a future where almost nobody gets cervical cancer is in sight. "This progress hinges on people's access to two life-saving offers - HPV vaccination and screening. Together, they give the best protection against the disease. "Beating cervical cancer means beating it for everyone, so I encourage all parents and guardians to ensure young people don't miss out on getting the HPV vaccine. "And if you receive your cervical screening invite, don't ignore it." Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said: "The NHS HPV vaccination programme has already helped save thousands of lives and we need to go further to boost uptake of HPV vaccines and cervical screening to help eliminate cervical cancer in England by 2040. "If we can ensure that almost every Year 10 girl in some areas is protected and extremely unlikely to ever develop cervical cancer, we need to match this in every part of the country."
Arab News
18-06-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Why Gavi's replenishment is critical to the fight against cancer
I come from Nigeria, a lower-middle-income nation of 230 million people. As a cancer advocate, I witness daily how it devastates families, not because we lack the knowledge to prevent many cancers, but because we lack the resources and political will to scale lifesaving preventive measures like the HPV and hepatitis B vaccines. It is staggering that approximately 13 percent of global cancers are caused by infectious diseases that are vaccine-preventable. Yet there is a huge difference in how countries are able to access such vaccines. Thus, when we provide HPV and hepatitis B vaccines to countries that otherwise would be unable to access them, we are not only making a highly effective health intervention, we are also making an equity intervention. The HPV vaccine protects future women from a leading cause of cancer death in women in many low- and middle-income countries — cervical cancer. Meanwhile, cases of liver cancer have been reduced by up to 91 percent in some studies of vaccinated populations. Clearly, vaccines reduce future cancer care costs, free up health systems and keep mothers alive for their children. The ripple effects are profound — for health, for economies and for the dignity of communities. Clearly, vaccines reduce future cancer care costs, free up health systems and keep mothers alive for their children Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu If these benefits are profound, perhaps what is more so is the fact that prevention in the form of vaccines creates a unique opportunity for health systems in low- and middle-income countries to move from perpetual crisis management to a cost-effective and sustainable pathway that strengthens primary healthcare, builds trust in institutions and delivers intergenerational dividends for decades to come. This is why the upcoming replenishment of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is an urgent opportunity to fund solutions that are backed by science, proven in implementation and catalytic in impact. It is a chance to protect millions of children and families from cancers they should never have to face. As a public-private collaboration, Gavi has supported the vaccination of more than 1 billion children since 2000 and today ensures that over half the world's children are protected against deadly but preventable diseases. Through this work, it has prevented more than 17.3 million deaths and helped bring about a 50 percent reduction of child mortality in 78 lower-income countries. Thanks to advances in science and sustained efforts to grow the supply of affordable, safe and effective vaccines, Gavi has recently begun scaling up efforts to tackle the scourge of cervical cancer. In Nigeria alone, there are more than 60 million women and girls at risk from this dreadful disease. With support from Gavi, 13.6 million girls have been vaccinated against HPV in the last two years, thereby fulfilling one of the pillars of the cervical cancer elimination goals and giving a chance of life without fear of this dreadful yet preventable disease. HPV vaccine delivery is now routinely available to girls aged nine to 14 at primary healthcare centers and Gavi is on track to have vaccinated 85 million girls worldwide by the end of the year. Without support, we will revert to zero. It is worth noting that, prior to this, only 6 million girls had been vaccinated in the entire African continent. We have come a long way in our fight against cancer, but there is much to do. We must fund Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu The countries eligible for support from Gavi that have introduced the hepatitis B birth dose vaccination program are showing remarkable reduction in hepatitis B infection rates. These include Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and even China, which was an early recipient of Gavi support. This will consequently translate into a reduction in liver cancer cases. My role as president-elect of the Union for International Cancer Control, an organization representing more than 1,200 cancer institutions across 176 countries, commits me to working alongside Gavi and other partners to ensure that vaccines are embedded in national cancer control plans and delivered with the urgency they deserve. We have come a long way already, but there is so much more work to do and we need sustainability. We need visionaries and we need investors. In under two weeks' time, Gavi will ask its stakeholders — a coalition of wealthier donor countries, including Saudi Arabia — countries that receive Gavi's support, which are themselves stepping up more and more each year to fund their own immunization programs, and private sector and philanthropic institutions to provide the funding it needs for its next five-year strategy period. An investment in Gavi today is not charity — it is leadership. It is foresight. And it is one of the smartest, most scalable investments anyone can make in global cancer prevention. I urge all Gavi's traditional and new backers to step up and support its mission, to protect the world's most vulnerable and to help countries as they themselves strive to build sustainable, self-sufficient health systems. This includes Saudi Arabia, which in recent years has stepped up to demonstrate true global leadership. In 2020, it became the first country in the world to back Gavi's COVAX program for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. More recently, it has backed efforts to eradicate polio off the face of the Earth. Let us match the strength of our science with the strength of our commitments, because behind every dose of vaccine is a life protected, a future restored and a generation empowered.
