Call to vaccinate girls as young as 4 against HPV

THE World Health Organisation's (WHO) vaccine experts are recommending that countries consider routine vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in girls as young as 4, provided it helps improve lagging vaccine coverage.

Some 165 countries have introduced the vaccine, said Anthony Scott, who chairs WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE).

"However, the global HPV vaccine coverage, at 33 per cent, is far short of the global target we're looking for, which is 90 per cent," he said.

HPV vaccination is a priority for all girls aged 9 to 14, according to WHO.

Back in 2022, SAGE recommended a one- or two-dose schedule for girls aged 9 to 14; the same for young women aged 15 to 20; and two doses with a six-month interval for women over 21.

After reviewing updated evidence, SAGE decided the single-dose vaccine schedule for girls aged 9 to 14 was the most efficient way to reach the global target.

"Countries may also consider routine vaccination (for) girls aged 4 to 8 if this is likely to result in increased vaccination uptake and coverage," said Scott.

Caused by persistent HPV infection, cervical cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed in women globally, with some 604,000 new cases and around 280,000 deaths in 2024, according to WHO.

By the end of last year, more than 95 million girls had received HPV vaccines, said Kate O'Brien, head of WHO's vaccines department.

SAGE recommended that HPV vaccination with a single dose may be expanded to additional target groups in order of priority: catch-up vaccination of women aged up to 25; then of women aged up to 30 years; routine vaccination in boys aged 9 to 14; then catch-up vaccination of males up to 20.

Up to last year, there were eight licensed HPV vaccines.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women in 26 countries, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South and Central America, Melanesia and southeast Asia, WHO says. — AFP