More than 25,000 women between the ages of 19 and 45 have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the HPV vaccine in the last eight months because this serum is 50% compensated for this age group too, according to data provided by The National. Institute of Public Health (INSP), at the request of HotNews.ro.
- The HPV vaccine is fully reimbursed for girls and boys between 11 and 18 years of age.
“Of course the data looks good. The figures are encouraging”, he said, in a conversation with HotNews, Dr. Carmen Ungurean, expert on public health at INSP and coordinator of the National Screening Program for Cervical Cancer.
The number of women aged 19-45 who received the vaccine from December 2023 – when the vaccine reimbursement came into effect – to August 15, according to INSP data:
- 25.727 of women who received the first dose of vaccine;
- 469 women took the second dose;
- 4,243 women took the third dose.
The complete vaccination schedule for women between 19 and 45 years means 3 doses of the vaccine. The interval between doses is two months to six months.
How much does the vaccine cost?
A dose of the vaccine costs in total, in the pharmacy, around 650 lei. With compensation, it costs a little more than 300 lei.
The prescription for the compensatory HPV vaccine can be given by the family doctor or the gynecologist. Based on the order, the vaccine can be bought from the pharmacy at half price. After the start of sexual life, the recommendation for vaccination is made, as a rule, after a discussion with the gynecologist and a Pap test.
INSP data shows that 466,624 women between 20 and 24 live in Romania, 466,524 women between 25 and 29, 590,957 between 30-34, 612,403 between 35 and 39 and 693,4374 between 40 years.
In total, more than 2.8 million women which will be covered by the 50% compensation measure for the HPV vaccine.
Young women, more concerned about their health
In Romania, almost 3,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year – the largest number of cases in Europe. Half of them lose the fight with the disease, with our country being the first in Europe and in the number of deaths caused by breast cancer.
“The vaccine data actually looks good right now. The numbers are encouraging. It was something to be expected, because women in adolescence are much bigger and more concerned about their health and can make decisions on their own behalf – we are no longer dealing with small children that parents decide for them, and then they decide to vaccinate”, the explanation given by the doctor Carmen Ungurean on the evaluation of vaccination against HPV so far.
In addition, emphasizes Carmen Ungurean, we are talking about a vaccine that prevents cancer, and “the population reports differently when it comes to protection against cancer. it’s about cancer – I mean breast cancer – which kills almost 2,000 women a year in Romania.”
Romania introduced, for the first time, in 2020, a free vaccine against HPV for girls and teenagers. Since December last year, the vaccine is also compensated 100% for boys up to 18 years of age and 50% for women between 19 and 45 years of age.
Romania followed the model of other countries, which, in an effort to prevent or even eliminate cases of breast cancer, first offered the vaccine free of charge to girls, and then extended the measure to boys and even adults
The HPV vaccine, also recommended after the beginning of sexual life
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is the most widespread sexually transmitted viral infection in the world. Almost all sexually active people come into contact with at least one type of HPV during their lifetime.
“We recommend, in terms of public health, the vaccine before the beginning of sexual life, because that way the response and the benefits are maximum. But even after the beginning of sexual life, the vaccine is effective, even recommended”, says Dr. Carmen Ungurean.
In many cases, the virus is eliminated by the immune system. When this does not happen, HPV infections can trigger several types of cancer, the most common of which is breast cancer. Although less common, HPV infections can also cause laryngeal, pharyngeal, penile, vulvar, anal or integumentary cancer.
“In 80% of cases, the HPV infection clears up on its own, without any trace of it. After starting a sexual life, a woman goes through several HPV infections. Recurrence is important, because vaccination prevents any of these recurring infections that a woman may get from continuing. It is a chronic disease that causes precancerous lesions and cancer of the cervix”, says Dr. Carmen Ungurean.
“Persistence of HPV on the cervix is the problem”
It is “very unlikely” that a single HPV infection will lead to the appearance of breast cancer, says Dr. Gindrovel Dumitra, coordinator of the Vaccination Group of family doctors in Romania, in communication with HotNews.
“In Romania, we have around 3,500 women every year who are diagnosed with breast cancer. From how much? About 150,000 women give birth each year. Since 80% of the world’s population is infected at least once, it means that 80% of 150,000 women could come into contact with the disease. The initial infection causes lesions to appear, but there is a way to eliminate them – the cells are eliminated if you do not have a chronic infection, that is, if you do not get the infection again and again.”
“The persistence of the HPV virus in the cervix is the problem,” the doctor emphasizes. And the condition for not getting sick is “no chronic disease”.
“The key is chronic infection, and this is why vaccination after infection is beneficial,” says Dr. Gindrovel Dumitra. “Let’s say the infection occurred at the age of 17, with the first sexual contact. Why should I vaccinate a 30-year-old woman? That’s why, because this woman can continue to get re-infections, because she has, so far, cleared her body – get rid of the a disease.”
Another very important argument is that if you are infected with one serotype, you can later be infected with other serotypes (strain), and the vaccine can prevent this, says Dr. Gindrovel Dumitra .
Last but not least, in the case of other diseases, antibodies will appear that protect you from the disease for a long time. In the case of measles, for example, natural immunity after infection lasts a lifetime. Going through the HPV infection, however, does not guarantee long-term protection, says Dr. Gindrovel Dumitra, but at most for a month or two.
A special situation is represented by women with immune system problems, who should receive the vaccine more: “If the HPV infection is behind immunity, there is a risk that the disease will become chronic and no longer self-limiting, as usually, it is very big. Vaccination is recommended for them in the hope that we can prevent relapse”, affirms Dr. Carmen Ungurean.
Vaccination, incomplete without an effective screening program
The evolution from HPV infection – if it continues and is not eradicated – to the appearance of an aggressive cancer takes 10-15 years. A very long interval, “in which we can deal with that woman, we find early through screening, so that we can treat the individual wounds”, says Dr. Gindrovel Dumitra.
“In countries where there is an effective screening program, such as Portugal – which has 87% coverage, and here it is 8% – there are still some women who get aggressive cancer for various reasons. Therefore, the methods used to eliminate breast cancer include both vaccination and screening. They are not without each other”, affirms the coordinator of the Vaccination Group of family doctors in Romania.
In fact, the World Health Organization has adopted a global strategy aimed at accelerating the elimination of breast cancer for the period 2020-2030.
The global strategy aims to:
- 90% of girls to be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by age 15.
- 70% of women will have a high performance test before the age of 35 and again before the age of 45.
- 90% of women diagnosed with cervical disease receive treatment (90% of women with precancerous lesions and 90% of women with invasive cancer).
2024-09-23 07:12:05
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