HPV Vaccination Shows Sustained Protection Against Cervical Cancer
New research shows HPV vaccination provides sustained protection against invasive cervical cancer for over a decade, with vaccinated individuals showing significantly lower cancer rates. The study found 79% lower risk for those vaccinated before age 17, with protection lasting 13-15 years. Cervical cancer remains a major global health challenge, particularly in regions like India and the Caribbean where infection rates are high.
HPV vaccination provides significant and sustained protection against invasive cervical cancer, with new research showing the risk reduction persists for over a decade. A study published in The BMJ found that girls vaccinated before age 17 had an 79% lower risk of developing cervical cancer compared to unvaccinated individuals, with protection sustained for 13 to 15 years after vaccination.
The research included 926,362 girls and women residing in Sweden between 2006 and 2023, with 365,502 (39.5 percent) receiving at least one dose of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine. Among the 930 cases of invasive cervical cancer identified, 97 occurred in vaccinated individuals and 833 in unvaccinated individuals. The overall fully adjusted incidence rate ratio was 0.21 for participants vaccinated before 17 years of age versus the unvaccinated group, with protection sustained for 13 to 15 years after vaccination (incidence rate ratio, 0.23). For individuals vaccinated at 17 years or older, the overall fully adjusted incidence rate ratio was 0.63 compared with the unvaccinated group, with significant reductions in incidence seen during years 10 to 12 and 13 to 15 after vaccination.
"No indication of waning protection was observed among the vaccinated population," the authors wrote. The school-based cohort had a lower risk for cervical cancer compared with the opportunistic cohort (incidence rate ratio, 0.28) after adjustment for covariates.
Cervical cancer continues to be a significant public health challenge globally. In India, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer affecting women, causing nearly 80,000 deaths annually. The prevalence of HPV infection among general women in the population in India is estimated to range from 7.5% to 16.9%, with infection with high-risk HPV types 16 and 18 responsible for over 70% of all cervical cancers globally, and an even higher proportion in India.
In the Caribbean region, the situation is particularly alarming. Recent data from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines revealed that 17 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2024, marking an 88.9% increase from 2023. An additional 17 new cases were recorded in the first nine months of 2025. From 2020 to 2024, a total of 44 women succumbed to this vaccine-preventable disease in that country alone. In 2023, cervical cancer accounted for 12.7% of all cancers among women in Saint Vincent.
Across the Caribbean region, including Cuba and Puerto Rico, there are some of the highest rates of cervical HPV infection globally, at approximately 16% among women, ranking second only to sub-Saharan Africa. Every year, more than 78,000 women in the Americas are diagnosed with cervical cancer, leading to over 40,000 deaths, 83% of which occur in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Pan American Health Organization has partnered with the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to promote the rollout of the human papillomavirus vaccine for school-aged children. This collaboration builds on recent milestones in the country, including the introduction of HPV DNA testing for screening launched in September 2025 and expanded access to diagnostic and treatment services.
While most HPV infections do not lead to cancer, with a large proportion of infections and pre-cancerous lesions resolving spontaneously, persistent infection with high-risk HPV types is the critical pathway which can eventually lead to cancer, often over many years. Vaccination reduces the likelihood of persistent HPV infection and the development of higher-grade pre-cancerous conditions that can progress to cancer.