HPV vaccine study finds zero cases of cervical cancer among women vaccinated <14
A large study of HPV vaccination finds zero cases of cervical cancer so far among women vaccinated before age 14, prompting debate over how strong the evidence is and how to interpret incidence statistics given cancer often appears later in life. Commenters highlight that HPV also causes throat, anal, and penile cancers, arguing for routine vaccination of boys as well as girls and for clearer guidance on vaccination of adults in their 30s and 40s. The conversation broadens into questions of cost-effectiveness, parental consent and adolescent medical autonomy, and the role of vaccine hesitancy and misinformation in public health policy.
Overall reaction to the study
- Many find the result (zero cervical cancer cases in women vaccinated before 14) impressive, especially given HPV exposure via sexual networks is hard to fully contain.
- Others argue the result is less dramatic than headlines imply, given expected case counts in that cohort are small; some stress that interpreting incidence per 100k person‑years is non‑intuitive.
Vaccine effectiveness and herd immunity
- Several comments note that vaccines need not be individually “perfect” to eradicate disease; reducing R₀ below 1 is sufficient.
- Polio is cited as an example where lapses in vaccination (e.g., specific communities) allow resurgence.
- HPV vaccine is praised as an especially strong tool given observed cancer reduction even in a “leaky” environment.
HPV risks for both sexes
- Multiple comments emphasize HPV causes not only cervical cancer but also penile, anal, and oropharyngeal (mouth/throat) cancers.
- Some argue men are not adequately targeted by public messaging, despite rising HPV‑related throat cancers in men and serious morbidity (disfigurement, loss of speech, chronic pain).
- Others counter that cervical cancer’s global death toll is much higher, explaining the historic focus on women.
Age, consent, and policy
- Debate over whether adolescents (e.g., 12‑year‑olds) should have the right to confidentially obtain HPV vaccination regardless of parental wishes.
- One side stresses children’s rights to evidence‑based care and distrusts “parental rights” blocking vaccines; the other worries about arbitrary age cutoffs and government overreach into parenting.
Vaccination beyond adolescence
- The thread summarizes CDC language: routine vaccination is for ≤26; for 27–45 it is “not routinely recommended” but may be considered based on individual risk, not “recommended against.”
- Reasons given: many adults have already been exposed, lowering benefit; testing prior exposure is hard; cost is high and coverage by insurance limited.
- Several share that doctors still sometimes recommend the vaccine for older or previously infected adults, citing possible protection against additional strains and emerging (but not definitive) evidence of benefit for recurrence or symptom reduction.
Costs, ethics, and skepticism
- Some discuss cost‑effectiveness and opportunity costs of mass vaccination, while others highlight lives saved and prevention of severe disease.
- One comment expresses broad vaccine skepticism, linking US vaccine schedules to high healthcare costs and implying profit‑driven “mania”; this view is not supported elsewhere in the thread and goes largely unengaged with evidence.
Human impact
- Multiple personal stories (partners and friends dying young of cervical cancer; single parenting after loss) underscore the emotional weight and real‑world stakes of HPV vaccination.