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New Delhi: A single-dose human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV), especially given to adolescent girls in the age group of 10-14 years, can help prevent cervical cancer, says a new study published in the journal Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics.
The study, conducted at hospitals across India, found that 10 years after vaccination, a high proportion of single- dose recipients still had antibody titers against HPV types 16 and 18 with the proportion being slightly higher among 10-14-year-olds than those aged 15-18.
The main focus of the research is to study the long-term antibody response after a single dose of the HPV vaccine.
The study showed that a single dose jab with a catch-up extended to age 20 will have more significant impact in reducing the lifetime risk of cervical cancer and accelerating elimination of the disease than administering two doses to pre-adolescent girls.
“There was a prior vaccine available in India which is Gardasil (developed by Merck and Co), and now there is an indigenous vaccine which is similar, named Cervavac. Single dose vaccine (of Gardasil) even if given upto the age of 20 years is still effective. However, it is not the same case for Cervavac (which recommends two doses),” said Dr Neerja Bhatla, head, obstetrics and gynaecology, AIIMS Delhi and co-author of the study.
The study was conducted on 2,135 women who were studied for over 10 years on a cohort of unmarried girls who received one, two or three doses of HPV vaccines in the age group of 10-18 years.
The purpose of the study was to compare antibody responses between the younger and older age cohorts 10 years after vaccination, and also to evaluate the impact of initiation of sexual activity on antibody levels.
According to experts, the durability of immune response following a single dose of HPV vaccine is a crucial factor for guiding policies, especially when the upper age for vaccination is extended to 20 years.
“The humoral response is dependent on age at vaccination; the antibody titers after two doses of bivalent vaccine in 18–25 year old females was documented to be only about half those achieved in aged 10–17 years.” the study read.
Cervical cancer ranks as the second most common cancer among women in India. Worldwide it is thought to be among the most preventible of cancers, an outcome of the right policy measures.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a one or two-dose schedule for girls aged 9-14 years.
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