Study by the Chair of Epidemiology shows: HPV vaccination significantly reduces the risk of cervical cancer

HPV vaccination can significantly reduce the risk of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer. This is shown by a new study conducted by a research team from the Chair of Epidemiology under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Stefanie Klug. For the first time, the study used individual vaccination data to investigate how effective HPV vaccination is under the conditions of routine healthcare in Germany. The study “The effect of HPV vaccination on precancerous lesions and invasive cervical cancer in a low-vaccination-coverage setting in Germany: a retrospective cohort analysis” has now been published in the journal “The Lancet Regional Health”.

The study is based on anonymized healthcare and prescription data from the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Bavaria (KVB). The research team analyzed data from more than 600,000 women born between 1990 and 2005 who live in Bavaria. The analysis included HPV vaccinations documented in the KVB data, as well as subsequent diagnoses of precancerous lesions and invasive cervical cancer between 2008 and 2024. “The KVB data enable us to examine very large parts of the population over many years and thus, for the first time, also analyze the long-term effectiveness of HPV vaccination,” explains Prof. Dr. Stefanie Klug.

Of the women included in the study, 33.8 percent were fully and 13.3 percent partially vaccinated against HPV. Among fully vaccinated women, the risk of precancerous lesions was 52 percent lower than among unvaccinated women. The risk of invasive cervical cancer was reduced by as much as 65 percent. “Vaccination results in a significantly reduced risk of such lesions or cervical cancer,” says Dr. Gunther Schauberger, research associate at the Chair of Epidemiology. The findings therefore confirm the effectiveness of HPV vaccination in Germany.

A particular focus of the study was the timing of vaccination. The analyses showed that vaccination should ideally take place before the onset of sexual activity. If vaccination is only administered after a possible HPV infection, its protective effect may be lower. As an approximation for the possible onset of sexual activity, the research team examined, among other factors, whether hormonal contraceptives had been prescribed before vaccination. Women with such a prescription showed an increased risk of the diseases under investigation. “It is important not only to vaccinate, but also to vaccinate at the right time,” says Schauberger.

The findings are also relevant in light of the comparatively low HPV vaccination rate in Germany. Unlike, for example, Sweden, Denmark, or Scotland, Germany does not have an organized, school-based vaccination program. Vaccination is primarily provided through community-based physicians.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, around 61 percent of 18-year-old women in Germany had been vaccinated against HPV in 2024. The study shows that HPV vaccination rates in Bavaria are even lower. “In countries with vaccination rates of around 80 or 90 percent, there are usually organized school-based HPV vaccination programs,” explains Prof. Klug. The researchers therefore see potential to further increase the vaccination rate in Germany.

From the research team’s perspective, public awareness and information also play an important role alongside vaccination rates. “The link between HPV infections and the development of cancer is still not sufficiently well established in the public consciousness,” says Schauberger. Many people may still not be sufficiently aware that HPV can be transmitted through sexual contact and can lead to cancer in the long term. Providing parents with information at an early stage, along with continuous training for physicians, can help ensure that more children receive the HPV vaccine in a timely manner. Schools should also introduce information about HPV and HPV vaccination at an early stage.

The study therefore provides the first direct evidence of the effectiveness of HPV vaccination against precancerous lesions and invasive cervical cancer in Germany. At the same time, the findings underscore the importance of vaccination as early as possible and of a high vaccination rate. The large number of datasets analyzed and the 17-year study period enable a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of HPV vaccination under the conditions of routine healthcare in Bavaria.

To the Homepage of the Chair of Epidemiology
To the study: "The effect of HPV vaccination on precancerous lesions and invasive cervical cancer in a low-vaccination-coverage setting in Germany: a retrospective cohort analysis"

Contact

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Klug
Chair of Epidemiology
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 Munich

Tel.: +49 89 289 24950
E-mail: sekretariat.klug.epidemiologie(at)mh.tum.de

Dr. Gunther Schauberger
Chair of Epidemiology
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 Munich
Tel.: +49 89 289 24955
E-mail: gunther.schauberger(at)tum.de

Text: Bastian Daneyko
Photos: Private