Human papillomavirus vaccine disease impact beyond expectations

Since 2006, 115 countries and territories have introduced human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs. Several efforts have been undertaken to evaluate the impact of HPV vaccines. Many countries, mainly high-income and with high screening coverage, are already reporting a visible impact of the HPV vaccine on HPV-related diseases. Others, largely low-income and middle-income countries, are introducing HPV vaccine to control HPV diseases that will undoubtedly generate a similar impact. In this review, we will summarize the compelling evidence of the impact of vaccines in reducing the burden of HPV-related disease. The data support additional efforts to make HPV vaccines widely available to adolescent girls in the countries that bear the vast majority of cervical cancer-related morbidity and mortality.