A new study published in teh New England Journal of Medicine offers a promising step towards global cervical cancer elimination: a single dose of the HPV vaccine may be just as effective as the current two-dose regimen. The findings,from a large-scale trial led by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the Costa Rican Institute for Biomedical Research,coudl dramatically increase vaccine access,particularly in regions where cervical cancer rates remain high. Researchers followed more than 20,000 girls aged 12 to 16 in Costa Rica for five years to assess the vaccine’s efficacy, published April 4th.
最新研究證實，接種單劑人類乳突病毒（HPV）疫苗可提供約97%的保護力，效果與接種兩劑相當。這項發現有望大幅降低施打門檻，協助全球消除子宮頸癌。圖為醫護人員手持HPV疫苗藥瓶。（美聯社檔案照）
A single dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine offers approximately 97% protection against infection, comparable to the effectiveness of a two-dose regimen, according to a groundbreaking new study. This finding could significantly lower barriers to vaccination and accelerate global efforts to eliminate cervical cancer, a disease that disproportionately affects women in low-resource settings.
The large-scale trial, led by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Costa Rican Institute for Biomedical Research, was published on April 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers enrolled more than 20,000 girls aged 12 to 16 in Costa Rica, randomly assigning them to receive different doses of the HPV vaccine and monitoring them for five years.
<!-- /21202031/13-health-mobile-sub-P-IR1 -->The results revealed that a single dose of the HPV vaccine provided approximately 97% protection against HPV strains that can cause cancer – an efficacy rate similar to that achieved with the standard two-dose schedule. These data provide strong scientific evidence to support simplified vaccination policies.
Lowering Barriers to Access and Increasing Global Coverage
HPV is primarily spread through sexual contact, and while most infections resolve on their own, persistent infections can lead to cervical cancer. Globally, approximately 340,000 women die from the disease each year. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that less than one-third of adolescent girls worldwide have been vaccinated.
The study’s findings are particularly important for low-income countries. Reducing the number of required doses will significantly lower procurement costs and logistical burdens, making protection accessible to more women. The WHO has already begun recommending single- or two-dose schedules to expand vaccine coverage.
Ruanne Barnabas, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, commented that previous research suggested a single dose was effective, and the new study confirms that protection lasts for at least five years. “We have the evidence and the tools to eliminate cervical cancer,” she emphasized. “What remains is the collective will to implement these measures equitably and effectively.”
Researchers caution that the trial focused on cervical cancer-related viruses and did not include data on head and neck cancers or other cancers. Further long-term monitoring is needed to confirm the durability of protection.
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OBJECTIVE
Create an article that reads as if it were originally reported and written in English
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Include only the verified facts, names, institutions, data, research findings, locations, and times that exist in the original content;
do not introduce any new data, analysis, or external information.
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