9-valent HPV vaccine expands age range to 9-45 years old Why is the HPV vaccine so important for women of appropriate age?

The 2021 ICO/IARC China HPV and Related Diseases Report shows that among women aged 15 to 44 years old in China in 2020, the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer ranked third among female tumors. It is urgent to prevent cervical cancer. So how to prevent it? This starts with HPV, the “culprit” that causes cervical cancer: almost all cervical cancers (99.7%) are related to HPV infection.
What are the dangers of contracting HPV?
HPV is the English abbreviation of human papilloma virus, which is a virus that easily infects human epidermis and mucosal squamous epithelium. There are many types of HPV, with more than 200 types currently known, which can be divided into high-risk and low-risk types according to their carcinogenicity. Common low-risk types include HPV6/11 and other types, which may cause skin warts, genital warts, recurrent respiratory papillomas and other diseases.
The 2021 ICO China HPV and Related Diseases Report shows that about 98% of cervical cancers in Chinese women are caused by high-risk HPV. Common high-risk types include HPV52/58/31/33/35/45/16/18, etc., which may cause the following cancers:
Which HPVs are Chinese women susceptible to?
An epidemiological study that summarized HPV infections in 1.7 million women in China showed that the top three high-risk HPV subtypes that Chinese women are susceptible to are: HPV16, HPV52, and HPV58. It should be noted that the 2021 ICO Global and China HPV-related Disease Report shows that the proportion of HPV52 and HPV58 in cervical cancer in China is significantly higher than the global level.

How to prevent cervical cancer?
The 2017 China Cervical Cancer Comprehensive Prevention and Control Guidelines proposed a three-level prevention strategy, of which HPV vaccination is the first step.

What is the difference between the 9/4/2-valent HPV vaccine?
Although HPV is always hard to guard against. But fortunately, in recent years, scientists have developed HPV vaccines. HPV vaccination is an important measure promoted globally and is an effective method to prevent HPV infection and related diseases. There are currently 3 price types of HPV vaccines that have been approved for marketing in China. All women aged 9-45 can choose the 9/4/2 price HPV vaccine according to their needs. The difference between HPV vaccines of different valences is that they cover different HPV types, and they are also divided into imported and domestically produced vaccines.

Why is the HPV vaccine so important for women of appropriate age?
A multi-center, population-based study in China showed that the two peak age groups for female HPV infection rates in my country are: 17-24 years old and 40-44 years old.

For girls of appropriate age, parents can consider vaccination as needed and choose the appropriate timing for vaccination. Girls of appropriate age can have better preventive effects by receiving the HPV vaccine before having sex for the first time. Currently, the active ingredients of the HPV vaccines that have been approved for marketing in China are proteins and do not contain viral DNA. Therefore, the HPV vaccines are not infectious or carcinogenic. The so-called “HPV vaccines contain live viruses” is not true. . According to data from the World Health Organization, as of December 2022, a total of 120 countries and regions around the world have included HPV vaccines in their immunization plans.

For adult women, because the body’s immune function declines with age, older women’s ability to clear new and previously infected HPV viruses will also decrease, making them more susceptible to persistent HPV infections. Therefore, you must not underestimate HPV. The potential danger may be around you and me. The “Comprehensive Prevention and Control Guidelines for Cervical Cancer” mentioned that “for women who have had sexual intercourse, research and experiments show that vaccination also has a good protective effect.” Moreover, the HPV vaccine is multivalent, even if you are infected with one HPV type In addition, the vaccine can also prevent diseases caused by infection with other HPV types covered by the vaccine.

HPV vaccine appointment tips
Regarding HPV vaccine appointment information, women of appropriate age can consult community health centers, public hospitals, and disease control centers in their areas by telephone or offline. If your location has an official appointment platform from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the government, you can also make an appointment online. Finally, I once again remind all women of appropriate age to pay attention to the HPV vaccine and provide a solid protection shield for the health of themselves and their families.