As a healthcare professional, a colleague asks your opinion as to which HPV strains should be covered in a new treatment. Based on your reading from the Sarid and Gao 2011 article, what is your recommendation, and when should the treatment be administered? What evidence supports your opinion? Keep in mind a cost/benefit analysis, as the cost of developing a vaccine for each strain can get very pricey!
Vaccines should be focused on the HPV high-risk strains, such as HPV16 and HPV18. These vaccines are expected to limit the spread of HPV infections as well as reduce the incidence of HPV-related cancers. The treatment should be administered during adolescence, in hopes of vaccinating people before they become sexually active. According to the Sarid and Gao 2011 article, Harald zur Hausen found that HPV16 and HPV18 was present in cervical cancer biopsies. The article also explained that HPVs 16, 18, 31 and 45 account for about 80% of cervical cancers. Thus, it is most cost effective to treat for HPV16 and HPV18 to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts.