It is kind of hard to believe that we are now considering a one dose HPV vaccine schedule and that we have already been vaccinating and protecting folks with this vaccine for 18 years!
HPV Vaccine History
Wait, has it really been 18 years?
Yes, that's right!
The first HPV vaccine, Gardasil (HPV4), was licensed by the FDA in 2006 and approved for use in girls between the ages of 9 and 26 years.
We then had:
- the approval of Gardasil for boys (2009)
- the approval of a second HPV vaccine for girls - Cervarix (2009)
- the approval of a nine valent version of the Gardasil vaccine for boys and girls (2014)
- a move to a two dose schedule for children who start the series before they are 15 years old (2016)
- the removal of the bivalent Cervarix from the US market as the manufacturer found it hard to compete with Gardasil 9 (2016)
- expanded age recommendations for Gardasil to age 45 years (2018)
- expanded indications for Gardasil to include prevention of cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, oropharyngeal, and other head and neck cancers caused by HPV (2020)
What else have we had?
Big drops in the rates of HPV infections in teenage girls and young women!
And we will hopefully continue to have more and more people getting vaccinated and protected with these vaccines that can prevent cancer!
A One Dose HPV Vaccine Schedule
What's next?
"The 4-7 April convening of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) evaluated the evidence that has been emerging over past years that single-dose schedules provide comparable efficacy to the two or three-dose regimens.
SAGE’s review concluded that a single-dose Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine delivers solid protection against HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer, that is comparable to 2-dose schedules. This could be a game-changer for the prevention of the disease; seeing more doses of the life-saving jab reach more girls"
One-dose Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine offers solid protection against cervical cancer
Believe it or not, we may soon be moving to a one-dose HPV vaccine schedule!
"A single-dose HPV vaccination schedule has the potential to reach more girls and avert a greater number of cervical cancer cases than reaching fewer girls with a two-dose regimen."
Frequently asked questions about single dose HPV vaccination
In fact, several countries are already using a one-dose HPV vaccine schedule, including Australia, England, and Scotland.
Will the United States be next?
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the CDC is reconstitute their HPV Vaccine Work Group later this year, which would be the first step at moving to a one-dose HPV vaccine schedule. The HPV Vaccine Work Group would evaluate all of the data, including the results of new studies that are finishing up over the next few years, present it to the ACIP, who would then vote on the issue.
How Does a One-Dose HPV Vaccine Schedule Work
But how can just one dose of a vaccine provide long-lasting protection?
Apparently, you need very low levels of the neutralizing antibodies that you get from the HPV vaccine to prevent an HPV infection.
This has already been shown in studies in India and Costa Rica, where we are seeing comparable rates for prevention of HPV infection 10 years after vaccination with single vs two or three dose schedules.
"Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) in Costa Rica that directly compares a single-dose cohort with a two-dose cohort within the same study to confirm non-inferiority are expected in 2025."
Frequently asked questions about single dose HPV vaccination
Of course, this doesn't mean that you should skip or delay your child's second dose of the HPV vaccine!
Let's wait for the official recommendation from ACIP.
Still, if you are on the fence on getting your child vaccinated and protected, and feel more comfortable with just one dose of the HPV vaccine, then get that one dose!
More on One Dose HPV Vaccine Schedules
- What Happens If You Get Gardasil and Already Have HPV?
- Is the HPV Vaccine a Savior or the Most Dangerous Vaccine Ever Made?
- HPV Vaccine Myths
- Are Cervical Cancer Rates Rising?
- We Can Now Envision an End to Cervical Cancer
- HPV Vaccine Safety and Acceptance
- MMWR - Declines in Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine-Type Infection Among Females after Introduction of Vaccine — United States, 2003–2018
- CDC - HPV Vaccine Schedule and Dosing
- ACIP - One-Dose Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination: Overview of Current Evidence
- ACIP - Human Papillomavirus (HPV) ACIP Vaccine Recommendations
- ACIP Work Groups
- WHO - One-dose Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine offers solid protection against cervical cancer
- Single-Dose HPV Vaccination: Fact sheet on Current Evidence
- One dose of HPV vaccine produces a long-lasting immune response, shows study
- Infographic: One dose of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is safe and effective against cervical cancer!
- Closing the gap: UNICEF bolsters country efforts to increase HPV vaccination
- Evidence and Potential Impact for Single-Dose Hpv Vaccination
- Single-Dose HPV Vaccine Evaluation Consortium
- Frequently asked questions about single dose HPV vaccination
- Presentations on single dose HPV vaccination
- KENya Single-dose HPV vaccine Efficacy (KEN SHE) trial
- India IARC trial
- Costa Rica HPV Vaccine trial
