Human papillomavirus prevalence in first, second and third cervical cell samples from women HPV-vaccinated as girls, Denmark, 2017 to 2024: data from the Trial23 cohort study
Menée au Danemark à partir de l'analyse d'échantillons cervicaux collectés entre 2017 et 2024 auprès de 23 202 femmes ayant été vaccinées ou non à 14 ans contre le papillomavirus humain (HPV), cette étude examine, en fonction du statut vaccinal, l'évolution de la prévalence des infections à différents types de HPV à haut risque cancérigène
What did you want to address in this study and why ? Women in Denmark who were vaccinated in 2008 against human papillomavirus (HPV) as girls (~14 years) have reached screening age. Compared with previous generations, these women are expected to have a considerably lower risk of cervical cancer and it is pertinent to assess the new generations’ future need for screening. We tested up to three consecutive cervical cell samples of Danish women (22–30 years) vaccinated as girls, collected between 2017 and 2024.
What have we learnt from this study ? Infection with HPV types covered by the vaccine (HPV16/18) has been almost eliminated. Before vaccination, the prevalence of HPV16/18 was between 15–17%, which has decreased in vaccinated women to < 1% by 2021. However, about one-third of women still had HPV infection with non-vaccine high-risk HPV types, and new infections with these types were more frequent in vaccinated than in unvaccinated women.
What are the implications of your findings for public health ? The HPV vaccine has been effective in reducing infections with vaccine-covered HPV types (HPV16/18), the HPV types responsible for over 70% of cervical cancer. Still, the high but steady proportion of women infected with high-risk HPV types not covered by the vaccine indicate a need for less intensive but continued screening of these generations.
Eurosurveillance , article en libre accès, 2025