• Researchers from Public Health Scotland and University of Edinburgh conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study to assess the impact of HPV vaccination on invasive cervical cancer incidence.

• The evaluation was done on women born in the following years:

  • 1988–1990 – not eligible for vaccination

  • 1991–1994 – eligible for the catch-up vaccination program in 2008 and 2009 (immunized at 14 to 22 years)

  • 1995–1996 – routine cervical cancer vaccination (immunized at 12–13 years)

• Data on screening, immunization, and cancer incidence were retrieved from the Scottish Cancer Registry till August 2022.

• Findings:

  • Those vaccinated at 12–13 years had zero incidence of invasive cervical cancer.

  • Among those vaccinated at 14–22 years, women who received 3 doses had a significantly lower incidence of invasive cervical cancer (3.2 / 1 lakh person-years, 95% CI [2.1–4.2]) compared to those who received none (8.4 / 1 lakh person-years, 95% CI [7.2–9.6]).

  • Women belonging to the most deprived category based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation had a significantly lower incidence of invasive cervical cancer when they had received 3 doses of the vaccine (2.29 / 1 lakh person-years, 95% CI [0.62–5.86]) compared to those with no vaccination (13.1 / 1 lakh person-years, 95% CI [9.95–16.9]).

• The authors recommend continued screening and assessment of outcomes, as information on different vaccine dosages and schedules, along with longitudinal outcome assessment, will help develop HPV vaccination schedule guidelines.

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