Need help? Please call us at 1-800-423-2308
contact a product consultant 1-800-423-2308
Anesthesiology
Emergency Medicine
Family Medicine
Gastroenterology
General Surgery
Internal Medicine
Neurology
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopaedics
Otolaryngology
Pediatrics
Psychiatry
If there’s one word that seems to dominate the conversations and consciousness of people both in and outside the healthcare community these days, it’s a seven-letter word that has come to take on even more weight — and unfortunately, a good degree of controversy as well:
The success rates of the COVID-19 vaccines in the United States (and all around the world) in 2020 and 2021 have brought vaccination administration practices to the forefront in a way not seen since polio ravaged our society in the 1950s. Of course, the scope of science is as vast as the array of viruses and illnesses, and effective vaccines exist to combat much more than polio and SARS-CoV2 viruses.
Alas, stubborn resistance, misinformation, and manufactured “controversies” also accompany these other vaccines and vaccination efforts. Such is the story when it comes to the ongoing fight against cervical cancer in U.S. women and its strong link to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination efforts.
It’s a story we’re proud to tell here, through the expert lens of Nicole W. Karjane, MD, Professor and Residency Program Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine, Richmond, VA.
In her approximately 30-minute lecture entitled “Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine and Prevention of Cervical Cancer,” recorded at the VCU Institute for Women’s Health virtual seminar The Health of Women 2021 in the summer of 2021, Dr. Karjane dives into details surrounding the history, efficacy, and administration of the human papillomavirus vaccine. As Dr. Karjane indicates, the HPV vaccine has served as a true game-changer in the drive to enhance cervical cancer prevention and reduction in overall cervical cancer diagnosis.
“There’s a lot of hesitancy about HPV vaccines,” says Dr. Karjane. “We know there’s hesitancy now even with the COVID vaccine. The take-home message here? People should be vaccinated as adolescents before they’re exposed to HPV.”
Each year in the United States, there are more than 11,000 new cases of a cervical cancer diagnosis. More than 4,000 such cases typically result in death — or more than one out of every three. While these grim numbers may be somewhat familiar to American women – and certainly to U.S. obstetrics and gynecology physicians and nurses – what may be less readily known and understood is the strong link between a cervical cancer diagnosis and human papillomavirus (HPV)-related infections.
As obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) professionals understand all too well, women are naturally susceptible to human papillomavirus-related infections. Women are around twice as likely as men to contract an HPV-related infection. While most women can clear an HPV infection without any escalation or sequelae, some do develop a continuing infection that can escalate into high-grade dysplasia — which over time leads to invasive cervical cancer.
There is hope, however. And this hope comes in the form of an HPV vaccine. Designed to prevent initial HPV infection, the vaccines block the troubling and potentially fatal cascade from occurring. As Dr. Karjane lays out in her vaccine timeline, initial approval of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine, which contains the viral capsid protein for HPV types 6 and 11 as well as 16 and 18, came in the summer of 2006. By 2009, there was a bivalent vaccine that contains just the protein for 16 and 18. A larger breakthrough came in 2015 with the release of the 9-valent vaccine, which went on to replace all other U.S. vaccines by 2017 — and now operates on a 2-dose schedule, similar to the dominant Moderna and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV2 and COVID-19.
While vaccinating against HPV 16 and 18 has been found to prevent more than 70% of all cervical cancers, the 9-valent vaccine performs with around an 85% cervical cancer prevention success rate. Today, the CDC recommends girls ages 11-12 years receive two doses of the HPV vaccine and says they may start receiving the vaccine at age 9. As Dr. Karjane discusses, studies have shown that beginning HPV vaccination early (by 12 years of age) is crucial for reducing the incidence of cervical cancer.
More than 15 years of monitoring and research during the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vaccination program have demonstrated the ongoing and thorough safety of HPV vaccination. According to the CDC, more than 135 million doses of HPV vaccines have been distributed since they were first licensed, and data continues to demonstrate that the vaccines are both effective and safe. Dr. Karjane notes in her lecture that studies have also shown “absolutely no evidence” of any causal relationship between the vaccines and incidence of autoimmune and neurologic disorders — refuting claims made by some members of the general public.
Whether you’re working in the ever-evolving fields of family medicine and obstetrics and gynecology, or you operate within a different realm of the healthcare universe, AudioDigest can serve as a valuable, versatile tool for you and your practice. If you found this article and Dr. Karjane’s insights beneficial, we invite you to explore additional content from the experts and thought leaders at AudioDigest, including these Top 5 CME Lectures in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
You can also stay updated and in the know on the latest developments, insights, and trends in OB/GYN, family medicine, internal medicine, and the entire healthcare ecosystem with an AudioDigest Gold subscription. Gold members enjoy anytime, anywhere access to hundreds of ACCME- and AANP-accredited lectures covering dozens of hours — and each CME/CE -certified lecture comes complete with detailed written summaries, suggested readings, and test questions.