Serosurveillance to Support HPV Vaccination in England

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Public Health
• Vaccinology

Background:

• The UK's national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program, initiated in 2008, has evolved regarding vaccine types, dosing schedules, and gender inclusivity.
• These changes align with the World Health Organization's 2020 global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer, emphasizing high vaccination coverage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term effectiveness and durability of vaccine-induced immunity in the UK population.
• To evaluate humoral immunity following changes in HPV vaccine schedules and vaccine types.

Main Methods:

• Serosurveillance was employed to measure antibody levels (IU/mL) and serostatus.
• The study analyzed immunity across different vaccination schedules (3-dose vs. 2-dose), vaccine types (bivalent vs. quadrivalent), and inclusion of both sexes.
• Antibody levels for all nonavalent vaccine types were reported.

Main Results:

• Vaccine-induced antibody levels remain high into adulthood, comparable between males and females.
• Findings support the durability of immunity demonstrated in clinical trials.

Conclusions:

• Serosurveillance is a valuable tool for monitoring population immunity and informing national HPV vaccination programs.
• Ongoing monitoring can detect potential decreases in vaccine-induced immunity, aiding in maintaining HPV control.