Concern over excessive vaccinations for children is a hot topic, and a new study has added fuel to the fire, suggesting that three doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine are more than is necessary.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States, with approximately 50 percent of sexually active people contracting genital HPV at some time in their lives, which can also lead to cervical cancer in females. The HPV vaccine significantly reduces the risk for HPV infection.
Both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a course of three vaccinations for girls, which can begin at the age of 9. However, a study out of Costa Rica, published in today’s online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, contends that two doses may offer as much protection as the full three-course preventative treatment.
Soure: HealtNews
Results of the study are the first to really challenge conventional wisdom and has gone so far as to say that even one dose may be enough to protect against HPV. If proven to be true, this could alleviate some hesitancy among parents to allow their daughters to be vaccinated, and could go a long way in helping developing countries who can rarely afford to offer a series of three.
As it stands, the rates for vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) in teens are lagging in comparison to other critical vaccines in America, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Just 49 percent of girls receive one dose of HPV vaccine, and only 32 percent receive all three doses of the vaccination series. Among adolescent males, 1.4 percent received at least one dose of HPV.
The Costa Rican study found that while the benefit appeared to be similar for women who received either two or three doses, the duration of that benefit beyond the four-year study was unknown. Further research is required to establish a two-dose HPV series as effective.
According to the CDC, an estimated 6 million Americans become infected with HPV each year, while about 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer.
