Saarbrücken, December 20, 2024 – Children and adolescents in Saarland are vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) far too infrequently. As a result, they unnecessarily develop cancer in adulthood. This is shown by the BARMER Pharmaceutical Report, compiled by authors from Saarbrücken Clinic and Cologne University Hospital. According to this, despite the corresponding vaccination recommendation of the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) at the state Robert Koch Institute, more than one in three 17-year-old girls from Saarland in 2022 were not fully vaccinated against HPV (37.5 percent). “HPV is responsible for almost all cases of cervical cancer and half of all virus-related malignant tumors. Vaccination against HPV can prevent cancer and save lives,” says Dunja Kleis, State Managing Director of BARMER in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. Acceptance and awareness in society for HPV vaccination must grow significantly.
How often HPV infections have serious consequences is evidenced by figures from the Saarland Cancer Registry. According to this, one in 1,000 women over 70 years old in Saarland has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Among women under 50 from Saarland, it is still the case in one in 2,000. “A cancer diagnosis is always a life-changing event, affecting not only the patient but also the entire family. Cancer often causes psychological distress for those affected, which can persist for many years even after a cure,” explains Kleis. The HPV vaccination prevents, in a very simple way, parents from having to witness their adult children’s cancer diagnosis. For good reason, the German scientist Harald zur Hausen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2008 for his research on HPV vaccine development.
Alarming: Rate of HPV vaccinations recently declining
BARMER state manager Kleis describes as alarming, against the background of the low number of HPV vaccinations, that the rate of girls and young women vaccinated annually against HPV in Saarland has been declining in recent years. According to the pharmaceutical report, in 2022 there were 78 HPV vaccinations per 1,000 Saarland girls and young women between the ages of nine and 26. Compared to 2021 (104), this represents a decline of 25 percent. Compared to the record year 2015 (121), the decrease is even 36 percent. "The number of HPV vaccinations did not drop during the Corona pandemic, but clearly towards its end. Although the reasons for this are not yet clear, a reversal of the trend is urgently needed," says Kleis. It must be absolutely prevented that even the already insufficient vaccination rates today can no longer be reached in the future.
Boys are still vaccinated against HPV less frequently than girls
According to the drug report, boys are vaccinated against HPV even less frequently than girls. In 2022, the proportion of 13-year-old boys from Saarland without complete HPV vaccination was 78.5 percent. As with girls, the HPV vaccination rate among boys from the state has recently declined. In 2021, there were still 86 HPV vaccinations per 1,000 Saarland boys and young men between nine and 26 years old; one year later, there were only 57. This corresponds to a decrease of 34 percent. Compared to the record year 2020 (93), the decline is even 39 percent. "Boys also have a great need to catch up on HPV vaccination. This is also because the STIKO only recommended HPV vaccination for boys starting in 2018," explains Kleis. The HPV vaccination protects boys directly by reducing the risk of HPV-related cancers of the anus, penis, and in the mouth and throat area, and indirectly protects girls.
HPV Vaccination Rates: Kleis Calls for Additional Child Preventive Check-up
From Kleis's point of view, it is crucial to clearly demonstrate to parents the proven benefits of the HPV vaccination and to highlight the risks of not vaccinating in order to increase willingness to vaccinate. She says, "Ideally, the vaccination status could be checked and vaccination counseling provided during a newly introduced preventive examination for children aged nine to ten years."
