Dr. BD Platt
Medical history has taught us that vaccination has remained one of the most successful stories of the 21st century. It is safe to say that no other medical intervention has revolutionised healthcare and global quality of life as much as safe vaccination. Perhaps only the dawn of antibiotic usage remains a close second.
Dreaded viral diseases once rampant and incurable, have many been relegated to the aisles of medical history books through active effective vaccination. If I could rewind perhaps our memories back to the 1980s, Small pox; a dreaded disease that once debilitated human for centuries was eradicated worldwide via human vaccination and community efforts that led to successful eradication.
In context with that era of the 1980s closer to home in Namibia; could we ever forget Polio? The success of the vaccination campaigns of the 1980s to 1990s; “Kick Polio Out of Namibia”. The image of the iconic footballer kicking the disease out of the country resonated so powerful. I doubt there was another local campaign image as strong and iconic. The message remained clear and trusted by community; and together we kicked polio out of the country and globally with effective vaccination.
The dawn of new technology has brought with it a recent explosion of general medical vaccination information readily available to everyone. This leaves the average person overwhelmed. This technological ease of information is welcomed and readily accepted if the intention remains ultimately to get people accountable for their individual health.
The medical information on vaccination requires not only a focused insight but also holds the individual responsible to a deeper knowledge of the information provided. Thus with said information, the recipient is compelled to refrain from uninformed sources; but rather to seek robust evidence based vaccination advice. This requires many at times starting with the basics of immunology.
The main prerogative of health care professionals to provide concise up to date data is heavy laden; however remain at the forefront of accurate evidence based information. This is not a new concept and has always remained paramount to the existence of trustworthy healthcare. The format, speed and packaging of scientific based information however has changed and thus turned into a race of action being the antidote to fear.
Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Namibia and across southern Africa. The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for more than 90% of cervical cancer cases, makingprevention through vaccination a top public health priority. This year, Namibia is taking a historic step by introducing the HPV vaccine nationwide.
Gardasil 4, also known as the quadrivalent HPV vaccine, is specifically designed to protect against four major HPV types: 6, 11, 16, and 18. Types 16 and 18 are responsible for approximately 70% of all cervical cancer cases, while types 6 and 11 cause the majority of genital warts. Gardasil 4 has been widely used globally and is approved for use in both girls and boys to prevent various HPV-related cancers and disease the Gardasil 4 are central to its ability to stimulate immunity against HPV. The L1 VLP (virus-like particle) antigens specifically.
Gardasil 4 contains VLPs made from the L1 major capsid protein of HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. These VLPs self-assemble into structures that mimic the outer shell of the actual HPV virus but contain no active viral genetic material, thus cannot cause direct infection. This simply put means they thus do not produce or replicate in host cell and thus increases the vaccine overall safety profile.
The immune system recognises these VLPS as foreign upon injection of Gardasil 4. They can be thought of as an imitation of the natural virus’s surface, the immune system mounts an initial strong response, in turn producing high levels of neutralizing antibodies. These are targeted specifically against the L1 proteins of the included various HPV types.
The antibodies produced are highly type-specific. They target the exact HPV types present in the Gardasil4 vaccine. HPV infection is a mucosal surface specific infection and thus these antibodies circulate in the blood found at these specific sites.
Once vaccinated person is later exposed to HPV, these mucosal surface antibodies can bind to and neutralize the virus. This prevents the established infection. This antibody response induced by the L1 VLPs is a key reason behind long term efficacy of using this vaccine.
In summary, Gardasil 4 prevents cervical and other HPV-related cancers by training the immune system to recognise and block infection from the most dangerous HPV types. This in turn stopping the virus before it can cause cellular changes that leads to this cancer.Thus with the above provided we could aim to support the Namibian HPV initiative by encouraging rollout to our youth and ensuring safe protected health and future.
Parents and caregivers: Protect your daughters’ health and future. Sign consent forms and support school vaccination days. Teachers and community leaders: Help share accurate information and encourage participation. Together, we can prevent cervical cancer and save lives.
