Vaccines For World Cancer Day

February 4th, 2018 is World Cancer Day, when organizations and individuals unite to raise awareness about cancer and work to make it a global health priority.

Like infectious diseases, cancer is expanding worldwide, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.

About 70 percent of all cancer deaths are reported in ‘developing’ countries, says the World Health Organization (WHO). Cancer was responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015.

Globally, nearly 17 percent of deaths are due to cancer.

But, part of the solution to the cancer crisis lies is prevention through vaccines. Several cancers are caused by virus and bacteria, which means they could potentially be prevented by vaccines.

Most people are aware of the role of vaccines in preventing infectious disease, but many do not realize that they can also protect against cancer.

This is because some cancers are caused by viruses. By preventing these viral infections, vaccines can halt the rise in some types of cancer.

“When one thinks of cancer prevention, vaccines don’t typically come to the top of the list.  With how easy it is for many patients to access their local pharmacy, people have the ability to help protect themselves from cancer by getting vaccines like Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines”, says Lauren A. Ragan PharmD Clinical Pharmacist at Brookshires Grocery Company.

“These vaccines are a big part of the preventative healthcare movement in potentially keeping patients healthy and saving the industry and patients money,” said Ragan.

There are two cancer vaccines readily available in most countries.

According to WHO, vaccination against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV) could prevent 1.1 million cancer cases every year.

• The hepatitis B vaccine protects against infection that can cause liver cancer – the second most lethal type of cancer among men. In the United States, an estimated 847,000 persons are living with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, and approximately 14,000 deaths are attributable to it each year. About 2 of every 3 persons with chronic HBV infection are unaware of their infection, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are two single-antigen vaccines and two combination vaccines are currently licensed by the FDA in the United States.
• The HPV vaccine can prevent up to 90 percent of all cervical cancer cases. Originally recommended for young women, HPV vaccination is now recommended by the CDC for most preteens. According to the CDC, HPV is an identifiable cause of nearly all cervical cancers and is also involved in most mouth and throat, anal, and other cancers, as well as genital and anal warts. During 2016, the CDC approved a two-dose schedule for adolescents under age 15 instead of the traditional three-dose schedule. Teens starting at age 15 or later still need three doses. The Gardasil 9 vaccine immunizes against nine genotypes of HPV known to cause cervical cancer, as well as vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers and genital warts caused by HPV.

By focusing on cancer prevention save lives and prevents suffering, while reducing healthcare costs.

Various research studies have shown that both hepatitis B and HPV vaccines are very cost-effective. According to WHO, the total annual cost of cancer in terms of healthcare costs and lost productivity in 2010 was approximately US$ 1.16 trillion.

What can you do to support World Cancer Day?

• Make healthy lifestyle choices that include avoiding tobacco, getting plenty of physical activity, eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol, and staying safe in the sun.
• Know about signs and symptoms of cancer and early detection guidelines because finding cancer early often makes it easier to treat.
• Support cancer patients and survivors with the physical and emotional impacts of cancer even after treatment ends.
• Share stories about cancer experiences, communicate with decision-makers and join support groups to help make positive change for all people affected by cancer.
• When possible, return to work after cancer treatment to restore normality, routine, stability, social contact, and income.

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides the private sector hepatitis vaccine prices for general information, and vaccine discounts can be found here.

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects, says the CDC. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the FDA or CDC.