HPV vaccine highlighted as preventing more than 90% of cervical cancer cases

Photo Ministry of Health

Asuncion, IP Agency.- The president of the Paraguayan Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics for Children and Adolescents, Fanny Corrales, highlighted that the HPV vaccine prevents more than 90 percent of cases of cervical cancer, hence the importance of reaching as many girls and boys as possible in order to reduce the incidence of deaths from this disease in the country.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of more than 200 related viruses, of which 40 are oncogenic or cause cancer, including cervical cancer and other types of cancer in men.

“By vaccinating, we are preventing more than 90% of the causes of these cancers and it is very important to prevent this way because there is no other type of primary prevention, which is why the new scheme aims to carry out vaccination between the ages of 9 and 18 in girls and boys born in 2014,” said Corrales.

The specialist stressed the importance of reaching as many girls and boys as possible in order to reduce the incidence of cancer deaths in the country.

There are two main types of cancer: low-risk HPV, which can cause warts, and high-risk HPV, which can lead to different types of cancer, including cancer of the cervix, penis, anus and oropharynx.

In Paraguay, cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer among women. HPV vaccination can prevent more than 90% of these cases.

The new vaccination schedule guidelines, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as of August, are a single dose for girls aged 9 to 18 who have not been previously vaccinated and also a single dose for boys born in 2014.

The single-dose HPV vaccine offers strong protection against cervical cancer. The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) assessed recent evidence and concluded that a single-dose HPV vaccine provides comparable protection to two- or three-dose regimens.

The Ministry of Health, through the PAI, invites parents and guardians to take their sons and daughters to get vaccinated. The vaccine is effective and represents an act of love and responsibility. Together, we can protect our future generations from cancer caused by HPV. “Get vaccinated, protect your future.”