Dr Philippa Whitford MP
Chair of APPG Vaccinations for All
Following the pivotal role of vaccines in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic, it is vital to ensure high vaccination uptake, across all ages.
With vaccines, many focus on the immunisation of infants against common childhood illnesses, which is vital given recent measles outbreaks in the UK due to falling uptake rates.
However, there has been greater recognition of the importance of vaccination throughout life, including the annual influenza campaigns and widening rollout of shingles vaccines.
Vaccines’ role against AMR
The Covid-19 pandemic led to significant innovation, with new mRNA technology utilised to create vaccines. mRNA technology offers a precise approach to vaccine development, opening doors to new vaccines targeting major infectious diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis.
Increasing vaccine deployment against common bacterial infections could reduce antibiotic use and help tackle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
It has been over 30 years since any completely new class of antibiotic was developed, and modified versions last for shorter periods before microbes develop resistance. Unlike antibiotics, vaccines face little microbial resistance, and many older products maintain full efficacy.
In addition to preventing or eliminating infectious diseases, vaccines are now contributing to cancer prevention and treatment.
Vaccines reducing cervical cancer
In addition to preventing or eliminating infectious diseases, vaccines are now contributing to cancer prevention and treatment. Since the introduction of the vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cervical cancers, there has been an almost 90% fall in cases among young women.1
The provision of HPV vaccination for boys and improved cervical screening offer the possibility of largely eliminating this devastating form of cancer while preventing other HPV-related conditions.
Potential of vaccines in cancer treatment
Recent development of vaccines against recurrence of neuroblastoma, a rare but aggressive brain tumour, suggests vaccines could contribute to cancer treatment. There are already some cancer immunotherapies based on manufactured antibodies. However, using tumour antigens to create cancer vaccines would allow patients to develop their own antibodies to fight recurrence risk.
To realise vaccines’ full potential, public confidence and high uptake remain vital. This requires us to tackle disinformation and ensure equitable access, within the UK and globally.
Reference
[1] Palmer, T. J. et al. (2022). Cervical Cancer Incidence after HPV vaccination in Scotland. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Advance Article. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad263