Vaccination against HPV in Brazil, from now on, will be carried out in a single dose. The announcement was made by the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, on Monday night (1st). Until then, the country used a two-dose regimen to combat the infection, the main cause of cervical cancer.
“A single vaccine will protect us for life against various types of disease and cancer caused by HPV, such as cervical cancer. We will not let children and young people run this risk when they grow up”, wrote the minister on her profile on the social network X, formerly Twitter.
Nísia also asked that states and municipalities actively search for young people aged up to 19 who have not received any dose of the vaccine. According to her, in 2023, 5.6 million doses of the vaccine were administered. “The highest number since 2018 and a 42% increase in the number of doses applied compared to 2022.”
“Now, we have more vaccines to protect our population against the risks caused by this virus. Using only one dose of vaccine was a decision based on scientific studies, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)”, he highlighted.
Who can get vaccinated
Immunization in Brazil is currently recommended for boys and girls aged 9 to 14; victims of sexual abuse aged 15 to 45 (men and women) who have not been previously immunized; people living with HIV; solid organ and bone marrow transplant recipients; and cancer patients aged 9 to 45 years.
Testing
In March, the Ministry of Health announced the incorporation into the Unified Health System (SUS) of a test for detecting HPV in women, classified by the ministry itself as innovative. The technology uses molecular testing to detect the virus and screen for cervical cancer, in addition to allowing testing to be carried out only every five years.
The current form of HPV screening, carried out through the test popularly known as the Pap smear, needs to be carried out every three years. The incorporation of the test into the public network was evaluated by the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies into the Unified Health System (Conitec), which considered the technology to be more accurate than that currently offered in the SUS.
The infection
HPV is currently considered the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and the main cause of cervical cancer. The ministry’s estimate is that around 17 thousand women are diagnosed with the disease in Brazil every year.
Despite being a disease that can be prevented, it remains the fourth most common type of cancer and the fourth cause of death from cancer in women – especially black, poor and with low levels of formal education.
