Dutch Health Council recommends new 9-valent HPV vaccine for broader cancer protection

A new vaccine offers better protection against human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cervical cancer and other cancers. The Dutch Health Council therefore advises replacing the current vaccine “to further increase the effectiveness of vaccination.”

The current vaccine protects against HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases in the Netherlands. However, studies indicate that the 9-valent vaccine is equally effective in preventing cervical cancer as the existing vaccine, while protecting against nine HPV strains, including types 6 and 11, which account for roughly 90 percent of genital wart cases.

The HPV vaccine has been part of the National Immunization Program since 2010. It was initially offered to girls from age 13, but in 2022, the age was lowered to 10, and boys are now also eligible. Two doses are given, spaced at least five months apart, and the Health Council recommends maintaining this schedule.

Each year, several hundred people are diagnosed with cancer caused by HPV. According to the Health Council, the vaccine is proving effective in practice. “The first group of vaccinated women in cervical cancer screenings showed significantly lower rates of the disease compared with unvaccinated women.”

In addition to protecting against cervical cancer, the 9-valent vaccine also offers protection against other types of cancer, such as vulvar, vaginal, anal, penile, and oral/throat cancers.