The first evidence has emerged that nationwide vaccination programmes for young women against HPV, the virus that triggers cervical cancer, are likely to cut the numbers who get the disease.
A study in Australia, one of the first countries to introduce the vaccination, has shown a drop in high-grade cervical abnormalities – changes to the cells in the neck of the womb that can be the precursor to cancer.
Australia introduced nationwide HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccination for women aged 12 to 26 from 2007.
While it will take many years to find out whether vaccination programmes definitely reduce the numbers of cervical cancers in the population, Australian scientists were able to analyse the results from their screening programme to find out whether there has been any drop in the number of young women with abnormal cell changes that are the precursor of cancer.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jun/17/cervical-cancer-vaccine-success-lancetThe Christian abstinence activists can choke.