In Brazil, 57% of girls took two doses of vaccine against HPV

In Brazil, 57% of girls aged between 9 and 14 took the two doses of vaccine against HPV, provided for this age group. The percentage is well below the recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is 90% immunization of the target public by 2030.

The data are part of a study by the Cancer Foundation, which uses information from the National Immunization Program (PNI) from 2013 to 2020.

According to the survey, 76% of girls in this age group took the first dose. Adherence to the second dose ranges from 50% to 62%, depending on the region of the country.

In the South, there is the highest percentage of vaccination with the first dose: 87.8%. However, there is also the highest rate of absenteeism, that is, non-attendance for the second dose: 25.8% among girls and 20.8% of non-attendance among boys. The national average of absenteeism is 18.4% for women and 15.7% for men.

The North region has the lowest vaccination coverage for both doses: just over half (50.2%) of girls. Among boys, the percentage is 28.1%.

The region is also the one that recorded the highest average of deaths from cervical cancer between 2016 and 2020. The mortality rate was 9.6 for each group of 100,000 women, while, in Brazil, the average was 6 deaths for each group of 100,000 women.

The HPV vaccine protects girls and women against cervical cancer. It is effective in 95% of cases of the disease.

Immunization also helps prevent cancer of the vulva, vagina and mouth. For boys and men, the vaccine prevents cancer of the mouth, oropharynx (throat cancer), cancer of the mouth, anus, among others.

The vaccine is available at SUS for all girls between 9 and 14 years old and for boys between 11 and 14 years old. Women and men up to the age of 45 who are transplanted, oncology patients, HIV carriers, can also count on immunization.

For complete protection against the disease, the vaccine must be taken in three doses. The second is applied 6 months after the application of the first and the third dose is applied 5 years after the second dose.

Immunization began in the Brazilian public network in 2014, for girls aged 11 to 13 years. As of 2017, it started to be offered to girls from 9 years old and also to boys between 11 and 14 years old.

The vaccine prevents against types 6, 11, 16 and 18 of the HPV virus. Types 16 and 18 account for 70% of cases of the disease.

The vaccine can be purchased at private clinics by the general population. The greatest advantage is given to people who have not initiated sexual activity. Immunization, however, does not dispense with the recommendation to use condoms for sexual practice.