Single dose of HPV vaccine is highly effective: study

The study included 2,275 people in Kenya who ranged in age from 15 to 20 years

ISLAMABAD, (ONLINE) - A new study shows that one dose of a vaccine that can prevent the virus that leads to most cases of cervical cancer may be as effective as the usual two or three doses.

The findings could have a significant impact on cutting the rate of cervical cancer worldwide, because a single dose would simplify the vaccination process and cost less. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer among women, killing an estimated 342,000 worldwide in 2020.

The vaccine prevents transmission of cancer-causing strains of the sexually transmitted disease called human papillomavirus, or HPV. The first HPV vaccine was approved in the U.S. in 2006, and the CDC currently recommends two or three doses, depending on a person’s age.

The new findings were presented at the end of April during the 35th International Papillomavirus Conference in Washington, DC. The study included 2,275 people in Kenya who ranged in age from 15 to 20 years old. They were randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: a single-dose vaccine that targets two HPV strains, a single-dose HPV vaccine that targets nine strains, or a control vaccine. Participants were regularly tested for 3 years. The two-strain

vaccine was 98% effective, and the nine-strain vaccine was 96% effective, the researchers reported.