DAILY RENDEZVOUS

Daily Rendezvous  In a new  position paper  published last week, WHO has updated its recommendations for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Of particular note, the paper states that a single-dose schedule, referred to as an alternative, off-label single–dose schedule can provide a comparable efficacy and durability of protection to a two-dose regimen. The recommendation for alternative single-dose scheduling was initially made  by WHO’s independent expert advisory group, SAGE  in April 2022. The position paper is timely in the context of a deeply concerning decline in HPV vaccination coverage globally. Between 2019 and 2021, coverage of the first dose of HPV vaccination fell by 25% to 15%. This means 3.5 million more girls missed out on HPV vaccination in 2021 compared to 2019. The optimization of the HPV schedule is expected to improve access to the vaccine, offering countries the opportunity to expand the number of girls who can be vaccinated ...

Daily Rendezvous The 4th - 7th April convening of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) evaluated the evidence that has been emerging over past years that single-dose schedules provide comparable efficacy to the two or three-dose regimens. SAGE’s review concluded that a single-dose Human Papillomavirus (HPV)   vaccine delivers solid protection against HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer, that is comparable to 2-dose schedules.  This could be a game-changer for the prevention of the disease; seeing more doses of the life-saving jab reach more girls. Often referred to as the ‘silent killer’ and almost entirely preventable, cervical cancer is a disease of inequity of access; the new SAGE recommendation is underpinned by concerns over the slow introduction of the HPV vaccine into immunization programs and overall low population coverage, especially in poorer countries. More than 95% of cervical cancer is caused by sexually transmitte...