Researchers in England evaluated the effectiveness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program in lowering the incidence of grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasms (CIN3) and cervical malignancies across socioeconomic categories in a new study that was published in BMJ.
The current population-level observational study investigated whether the disparities in cervical illness caused by HPV vaccination were exacerbated or decreased.
To find out if the previously noted high HPV vaccine efficacy continued after an extra follow-up year, the researchers replicated findings from a cancer registry analysis.
To assess the effect of the vaccination program on socioeconomic disadvantage, they merged data. The study comprised female residents of England between the ages of 20 and 64 who received a diagnosis between January 2006 and June 2020 of either CIN3 (n=335,228) or cervical cancer (n=29,968).
Incidences of invasive cervical carcinoma and CIN3 events were the main outcomes. The index of multidimensional deprivation (IMD) was employed by the researchers to measure socioeconomic deprivation in various areas, including income, employment, and health.
The HPV vaccination program in England has significantly reduced the prevalence of cervical malignancy and neoplasia across all socioeconomic groups, according to the study’s findings, especially for females who received the shots on a regular basis.
Nonetheless, women in the poorest neighborhoods continued to have the greatest rates. Researchers found that among individuals provided vaccination, there was not the strong downward gradient from high to low deprivation seen in the reference unvaccinated population.