Papilloma virus: 3,000 fewer deaths with the vaccine, but for 7 out of 10 parents it is useless

The Hpv vaccine could prevent almost three thousand deaths a year in Italy due to infection-related cancers, but seven out of ten parents believe that this form of prevention is not useful and for eight out of ten, Hpv is not a serious disease. The data were illustrated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità at a conference on prevention in Rome, emphasising that 'the result of this lack of awareness is that coverage in our country is still very low, with barely half of the target population, girls and boys under 12 years of age, effectively protected'.

"We are unfortunately still far from the goal of vaccinating 95% of 11-12 year old boys and girls by 2030," stressed the president of the Iss Rocco Bellantone, "and there are still large differences in vaccination coverage between one region and another. The Iss's appeal to paediatricians, family doctors, parents, teachers and gynaecologists is to promote vaccination by reducing the circulation of infections and, consequently, protecting others.

Investigating parents' attitudes was the recently concluded European project Perch, of which the Iss was the Italian lead partner. In addition to a lack of confidence in the vaccine's efficacy, there are also doubts about its safety, with 40% of parents interviewed stating that they are afraid of adverse effects. Added to this is the difficulty in reaching vaccination centres, perceived by 70% of those interviewed, and also the fact that 6 out of 10 do not know that the vaccine is free. The result is that, as data from the Ministry of Health show, no region in Italy has reached 95% coverage, ranging from a high of 77% achieved by Lombardy to 23% in Sicily. "The reasons for the low uptake of the vaccination are linked above all to an awareness that is not always complete on the dangerousness of the virus and its link with the development of cancers that cause thousands of deaths," explains Raffaella Bucciardini, scientific head of the Perch project. Confidence in its efficacy, on the other hand, is generally good. The job is therefore, first and foremost, to overturn these perceptions through correct and evidence-based information'.

The results of the survey were also summarised in a video, presented during the event, which attempts to answer the main concerns. For the film, some students from a secondary school in Rome were also interviewed, who actually confirmed the main criticalities in the information.

An effective way to increase coverage is to bring the vaccination directly to school, as demonstrated by a pilot experience conducted within Perch by the Taranto Local Health Authority under the supervision of the Prevention Department of the Apulia Region directed by Michele Conversano. The vaccine was carried out in 29 schools, and the coverage of the complete cycle in 11- and 12-year-olds rose for girls from a regional average of 57% to 73%, and for boys, again for the complete cycle, from 45% to 67.4%.