10/02/2026
Sunday Science
Why you should get the HPV Vaccine?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a hidden but major health threat. Most infections are silent, causing cellular mutations that can lead to cancer. By the time symptoms surface, the disease is often advanced. Therefore, HPV vaccination is a crucial public health measure.
HPV causes nearly all cervical cancers and many others, including a**l, pe**le, vaginal, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers. Types 16 and 18 cause about 70% of cervical cancers worldwide, with strains 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 adding 20%. Low-risk types 6 and 11 cause around 90% of anogenital warts, which cause psychological distress and need repeated treatment. These preventable, cancer-related diseases impact millions worldwide.
The scientific response to this threat is both elegant and powerful. The current 9-valent HPV vaccine protects against nine viral types: 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58, expanding protection far beyond earlier formulations and preventing the overwhelming majority of HPV-related cancers. Importantly, the vaccine is strictly preventive; it cannot treat infections that are already present. This reality underscores a simple truth: vaccination before exposure is the only reliable long-term defence. In Guyana, the 9-valent vaccine is now available to boys and girls aged 9-15 and women aged 16-45.
HPV vaccination was once viewed mainly as a “women’s health” issue, but this is outdated. Men face significant HPV risks, especially HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers rising worldwide among males. Vaccinating boys and young men protects them, enhances herd immunity, and lowers viral spread, benefiting those not protected by female-only programs. Universal vaccination for all genders is essential for lasting disease elimination.
Timing is crucial. The vaccine works best when given before exposure to the virus, ideally in late childhood or early adolescence. That is why, in Guyana, we want to ensure that every boy and girl is vaccinated between the ages of 9 and 15. Global consensus favours simplified schedules, such as single-dose strategies for youth, which remain highly effective, simplify logistics, and boost access, key for immunisation programs.
Despite strong scientific evidence, vaccine hesitancy persists, slowing progress. Concerns about infertility, neurological issues, or other complications have been thoroughly studied and disproven. The vaccine contains virus-like particles without genetic material, so it can't cause infection or cancer. Global data from millions of doses show adverse events are mostly mild and temporary, like minor injection-site reactions. Long-term studies confirm that protection lasts at least a decade and is not linked to infertility or autoimmune diseases.
The lesson is clear: delaying HPV cancer treatment is costly and unethical when prevention exists. High vaccination in Guyana can significantly cut cancer rates and prevent future burdens of preventable HPV associated diseases.
Universal HPV vaccination should be a standard of care, not optional. That is why the 9-valent HPV vaccine is now available across Guyana at no cost. While screening detects disease after it has developed, vaccination prevents it from developing in the first place. For screening, the government has been distributing HPV screening vouchers to women, which can be used at any private lab, and if you screen positive, then treatments are available. Public health rarely offers a chance to eliminate cancers in a generation, and HPV vaccination is one such opportunity, a silent shield. The task is to deploy it universally and without delay, and to ensure that everyone participates in and supports this noble initiative. , , , Ministry of Health - Guyana
