David Brill
Countries should “seriously consider” offering widespread human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations, according to the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who first linked the virus to cervical cancer.
Professor Harald zur Hausen, addressing the media on a recent visit to Singapore, said that boys and girls alike would benefit from the vaccine, but stressed that it should be given prior to the onset of sexual activity.
For older women who are already sexually active, it should be a personal decision whether or not to be vaccinated, he said.
zur Hausen also rejected the argument that effective screening programs can be superior to widespread vaccination.
“I think that’s a mistake because screening and vaccination do something different,” he said. “In screening you discover lesions which need to be removed. In vaccination you prevent the lesions, and therefore you don’t [need] surgical intervention.”
Vaccination has been shown to be safe and highly effective for preventing HPV infections but opinions remain divided about who, when and how to vaccinate. Australia, for example, has approved vaccination of women aged 10 to 45, whereas the US FDA limits approval to 9 to 26 year-olds.
“It would really be something which one should seriously consider – to vaccinate everyone,” said zur Hausen, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
“[But] let me be quite clear about it – the vaccine is really only protective in preventing the infection. If there has [already] been an infection the vaccine has no effect whatsoever.
“Up to the onset of sexual activity, yes, you can clearly say it’s worthwhile. But subsequently it’s more difficult to make a statement along those lines.”
Neither of the HPV vaccines is presently approved for use in males, but zur Hausen outlined several supporting arguments. Firstly, it would protect women from cervical cancer by reducing HPV transmission. Secondly, men themselves would gain protection from genital warts and other HPV-positive cancers, including anal and oropharyngeal cancers. Upcoming data from the first clinical studies in boys “look very promising,” he said.
zur Hausen also called for reductions in the price of HPV vaccines, which are presently “unaffordable” for parts of the developing world. This would pave the way for global vaccination programs, offering “the theoretical chance to eradicate some of these infections which lead to cervical cancer.”
Professor zur Hausen delivered the 6th Humphrey Oei Distinguished Lecture at the National Cancer Center, Singapore, and the second opening lecture at the Asian Oncology Summit 2009.
For older women who are already sexually active, it should be a personal decision whether or not to be vaccinated, he said.
zur Hausen also rejected the argument that effective screening programs can be superior to widespread vaccination.
“I think that’s a mistake because screening and vaccination do something different,” he said. “In screening you discover lesions which need to be removed. In vaccination you prevent the lesions, and therefore you don’t [need] surgical intervention.”
Vaccination has been shown to be safe and highly effective for preventing HPV infections but opinions remain divided about who, when and how to vaccinate. Australia, for example, has approved vaccination of women aged 10 to 45, whereas the US FDA limits approval to 9 to 26 year-olds.
“It would really be something which one should seriously consider – to vaccinate everyone,” said zur Hausen, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
“[But] let me be quite clear about it – the vaccine is really only protective in preventing the infection. If there has [already] been an infection the vaccine has no effect whatsoever.
“Up to the onset of sexual activity, yes, you can clearly say it’s worthwhile. But subsequently it’s more difficult to make a statement along those lines.”
Neither of the HPV vaccines is presently approved for use in males, but zur Hausen outlined several supporting arguments. Firstly, it would protect women from cervical cancer by reducing HPV transmission. Secondly, men themselves would gain protection from genital warts and other HPV-positive cancers, including anal and oropharyngeal cancers. Upcoming data from the first clinical studies in boys “look very promising,” he said.
zur Hausen also called for reductions in the price of HPV vaccines, which are presently “unaffordable” for parts of the developing world. This would pave the way for global vaccination programs, offering “the theoretical chance to eradicate some of these infections which lead to cervical cancer.”
Professor zur Hausen delivered the 6th Humphrey Oei Distinguished Lecture at the National Cancer Center, Singapore, and the second opening lecture at the Asian Oncology Summit 2009.
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