World Immunisation Week – preventing cancers with the HPV vaccine

June 22, 2022 By Brandon Buchanan 0

20 APR 2022
As part of World Immunisation Week (20-26 April), the Oral Health Foundation is raising awareness about the benefits that can come with vaccinating against disease.
As long-time campaigners of Mouth Cancer Action, there’s one jab that’s close to our hearts – the vaccination for the human papillomavirus (HPV).
What is the human papillomavirus?
HPV is a group of viruses that affect the skin and moist areas of the body.  It can affect both boys and girls and is usually passed through sexual contact.
Because of how the virus is transmitted, HPV is very common. Around eight in ten people will get HPV at some point in their life. For most people, HPV is harmless as the virus lays dormant in the body. For some however, it can be life-threatening.
HPV is one of the leading causes of mouth cancer, as well as other cancers in the head and neck.  It is also linked to cervical, penile and anal cancer, as well as genital warts and recurrent respiratory …