Can One Dose of an HPV Vaccine Confer Long-term Protection against HPV-induced Cancers?

Authors

• DR Lowy
• B Cortes
• M Gail
• P Gonzalez
• A Hildesheim
• L Pinto
• C Porras
• J Sampson
• M Schiffman
• AR Kreimer

Abstract

The three FDA-approved HPV vaccines can prevent the vast majority of cervical cancers and other cancers attributable to HPV infection. They are the first vaccines to successfully target an infectious agent that mainly induces local sexually transmitted infections. The vaccines, which are given systemically, induce more than 90% protection against new mucosal and cutaneous HPV infections. They have conferred strong herd immunity in regions of high vaccine uptake, but cost and logistics have limited their worldwide use. Their high immunogenicity suggests it should be possible to safely reduce the number of recommended vaccine doses from three - the number approved by the FDA - to one dose in young adolescents, who are the main target group for the vaccine. To test this hypothesis, we are embarking on a randomized controlled, non-inferiority trial of one dose and two doses for two FDA-approved HPV vaccines that differ in the adjuvant they use. Demonstrating that a single dose is sufficient to confer long-term protection would reduce vaccine cost and simplify the logistics of its administration, leading to widespread uptake of the vaccine and development of worldwide herd immunity against the HPV types responsible for the vast majority of HPV-induced cancers.

Scientific Focus Area: Institute, Center, and Scientific Directors

This page was last updated on Friday, March 26, 2021