Monday, June 17, 2019

HPV Vaccination is Paying Off - Scotland Edition

Several countries made HPV vaccination mandatory as long as a decade ago. That means the 12-13-year old young women who received it first (before it was approved for boys of the same age) are now in their early 20s are are receiving PAP smears. Scotland was one of those countries. The results are as very positive.

BBC News April 4, 2019:

HPV vaccine linked to 'dramatic' drop in cervical disease

The routine vaccination of girls with the HPV vaccine in Scotland has led to a "dramatic" drop in cervical disease in later life, new research suggests.
Human papilomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection and some types are linked to cervical cancer.
Researchers said the vaccine has nearly wiped out cases of cervical pre-cancer in young women since an immunisation programme was introduced 10 years ago.
They found the vaccine had led to a 90% cut in pre-cancerous cells.
And they said the effects of the programme had "exceeded expectations".
The uptake of the vaccine in Scotland is about 90%.
A team of academics - from Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow Caledonian universities - analysed vaccination and screening records for 140,000 women who went for their first cervical screen from 2008-2016.
Their study, published by the BMJ, concluded that Scotland's HPV vaccination programme has led to "a dramatic reduction in preinvasive cervical disease".
It adds that the vaccine is "highly effective" and should greatly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in the future.
...

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Six Years

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted since the five year mark a year ago!

Life goes on. Everything I said last year is even more true today.

The family is all well.

I am well.

Carry on!