Fight against HPV – vaccination protects against cancer – but Swiss women vaccinate too little

It is proof that skeptics have long demanded: vaccination against cervical cancer actually prevents cancer. A large study from Sweden shows for the first time that women under the age of 30 are almost 90 percent less likely to develop carcinoma if they have been vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) before the age of 17.

The world’s fourth most common cancer in women, over half a million new diagnoses each year. More than half die from it, most in low- and middle-income countries. Thanks to early detection, the situation is better in industrialized countries. In Switzerland, the disease affects around 250 women every year, 80 die. Almost half of the patients are under 50 years of age at the time of diagnosis. The federal government has recommended HPV vaccination for girls aged 11 and over since 2007.