Written question WQ95775
- Asked by
- Gareth DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 2 days
Question
Will the Welsh Government provide data on the rate at which the HPV vaccine reduces cervical cancer in Wales?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
We do not hold Wales-specific data on the efficacy of the HPV vaccine or the impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancers, however, there is published evidence that the HPV vaccine is effective at directly and indirectly (via reduced transmission) protecting against nine different high-risk strains of the HPV virus. This includes viruses known to cause cervical, genital and mouth cancers, and genital warts. In particular, the evidence indicates that the vaccine is effective in preventing pre-cancer caused by HPV types 16 and 18 in young women, which are linked to 70% of cervical cancers.
The real-world impact of the HPV vaccine on reducing the incidence of cervical cancers is also well documented (2021 Lancet observational study; 2024 JNCI study).