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Boys Vaccinated: Eradicating Cervical Cancer?
23 Dec
Summary
- Vaccinating boys alongside girls may eradicate cervical cancer.
- Current vaccination efforts in South Korea are insufficient.
- 99% female coverage needed, or vaccinating boys eases burden.
Eradicating cervical cancer may require a significant shift in current vaccination strategies, moving beyond immunizing only girls to include boys as well. A recent mathematical model developed by scientists suggests that ongoing vaccination programs, such as the one in South Korea, are not sufficient to eliminate HPV and associated cancers.
The study, published in the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, utilized demographic and health data from South Korea between 1999 and 2020. It found that while the current National Immunisation Programme, which began in 2016, effectively reduces cancer cases, it falls short of complete elimination. The model indicates that achieving complete eradication would necessitate immunizing 99% of women.
To overcome this challenge, researchers propose a strategy of immunizing 65% of boys aged 12-17, in addition to maintaining the current 80% vaccination rate for girls. This approach is estimated to eliminate HPV-related cancers in South Korea within 60 to 70 years, offering a more achievable path to ending the global burden of cervical cancer.
