Asami Yagi of the Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University shows that the rate of abnormal cytopathology in cervical cancer screening that women born in 2000 received when they were 20 years old is higher than that of women born before 1999. It was found in the research of specially appointed assistant professor, Yutaka Ueda and others. It seems that the drastic decrease in the vaccination rate of HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine has an effect.
According to Osaka University, about 1 people are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in Japan, and about 3,000 people die.The main cause is HPV, which is transmitted by sexual intercourse, and HPV vaccination is effective in preventing infection.In Japan, public subsidies for vaccination began in 2010, and the vaccination rate was high. However, due to concerns about various symptoms that occur after vaccination, welfare workers stopped actively recommending vaccination in 2013.
The research group obtained data on cervical cancer screenings born between 24 and 1989 and cumulative vaccination rates for women born after 2000 from 1994 local governments, and stopped aggressive vaccination recommendations first. We investigated the situation of women born in 2000, who are the generations that were vaccinated.
As a result, the abnormal rate of cytopathology for females born in 62.1-71.7 was 1994-1999%, which was 3.06-4.12%, while the abnormal rate was 10.2% for females born in 2000 with an inoculation rate of 5.04%. The value of was significantly increased.
The research group attributed the fact that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare stopped actively recommending vaccination, resulting in a sharp drop in vaccination rates.Unless new measures are taken, such as having the cessation generation be vaccinated later, the increase in cervical cancer patients in the future is feared.
なお、厚生労働省は12月23日の第28回厚生科学審議会予防接種・ワクチン分科会において、1997年度から2005年度に生まれた9学年の女性に対し、2022年4月から2026年3月までの3年間、HPVワクチンのキャッチアップ接種を実施する方針を示した。HPVワクチンの積極的な勧奨の差し控えにより接種機会を逃した女性に対して公平な接種機会を確保するため、情報提供と周知に努めるという。
