It’s been 20 years since the world’s first vaccine against cervical cancer was launched in Australia, and the results are pretty amazing. Over 800 million doses have been given out worldwide, and it’s expected to save tens of millions of lives by the early 2000s. The vaccine, which was developed by Professor Ian Frazer and his colleague Jian Zhou, protects against strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) that cause most cases of cervical cancer, as well as other types of cancer like throat, genital, and anal cancer.
The impact of the vaccine has been huge, with the Gavi Vaccine Alliance estimating that it would have prevented 1.4 million future deaths in low and middle-income countries over a three-year period. Australia is actually on track to eliminate cervical cancer in the next 10 years, which is a massive deal. Professor Nigel McMillan, whose daughters were among the first to be vaccinated, says that Australia will likely see only sporadic cases of the disease from now on. Other countries, like those in Europe, are also seeing similar results, which is really promising.
Despite the success of the vaccine, there are some concerns about vaccination rates in Australia. The number of girls and boys getting vaccinated has actually dropped in recent years, which is worrying. Experts like Professor McMillan and Professor Julia Brotherton are urging parents to get their kids vaccinated, saying that the vaccine is extremely safe and effective. They’re also emphasizing that cervical cancer is a devastating disease that can be avoided with a simple vaccine. With 165 countries now including the vaccine in their immunization programs, it’s clear that this is a game-changer in the fight against cancer.