HPV Vaccine Reduces Head and Neck Cancer Risk, New Research Reveals

New Study Links HPV Vaccination to Lower Head and Neck Cancer Risk

Research examining medical records across the United States shows that the benefits of immunization extend well beyond cervical health. Published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the investigation analyzed 1.4 million patient records from 66 US healthcare organizations. Half of the research subjects were vaccinated against HPV from ages 9 to 45. Study participants were vaccinated from January 2011 to June 2024, and the other half were vaccinated against other diseases but not HPV.

The findings indicate that individuals who received the immunization between ages 9 and 26—the range recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics—were 68% less likely to be diagnosed as having head or neck cancer, according to the study. Out of the study cohort, 40 people in the vaccinated group had been diagnosed with a head or neck cancer, compared to 130 people in the unvaccinated group, the researchers found.

Anatomical Specificity and Oropharyngeal Protection

While head and neck cancers were once caused mostly by tobacco and alcohol use, most of these tumors are now caused by HPV. The virus is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer, along with more than 90% of anal cancers, 75% of vaginal cancers, 70% of vulvar and head and neck cancers, and 63% of penile cancers. A study published in December 2025 found the vaccine reduces the risk of tumors of the vagina and vulva. A study published in April found that men and boys who received the HPV vaccine from ages nine to 26 were nearly 50% less likely to develop cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, anus, or penis.

The new research highlights a pronounced drop in tumors localized in the oropharynx, which includes the tonsils, base of the tongue, back part of the roof of the mouth, and the side and back walls of the throat. In the new study, people vaccinated against HPV were 91% less likely to be diagnosed as having oropharyngeal cancers.

There was no statistically significant reduction in head and neck cancers in people vaccinated from age 27 to 45, most likely because these people had been exposed to HPV before being immunized, said Ching-Nung Wu, MD, PhD, first author of the paper and an otolaryngologist at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.

Methodological Context and Scientific Caveats

Independent scientists note that the total number of head and neck cancers diagnosed among study participants was very small, with 40 among people vaccinated against HPV and 130 in the comparison group. Oropharyngeal cancers made up a fraction of these tumors. That makes it tricky to estimate the exact reduction in risk, said Taito Kitano, DrPH, a researcher at Nara Prefecture General Medical Center in Nara, Japan, who was not involved in the new study.

Public Health Campaigns and Immunization Targets in Khulna

Experts urge to administer HPV vaccines to prevent cervical cancer. According to government directives, all 10-year-old girls across the country should be brought under HPV vaccination, said director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Prabhat Chandra Biswas at the workshop describing the HPV vaccine as a major milestone in protecting public health.

Speaking as the chief guest at the function, held during the day-long workshop on Integrated EPI, HPV, Open SRP and Health Programme Review in Khulna Division at Hotel City Inn in the city on August 23, 2026, he stressed the need to ensure 100 percent coverage of HPV vaccination under the routine Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) to prevent the cervical cancer.

Director of the Khulna Divisional Health Office Dr Sheikh Md Mosharraf Hossain presided over the workshop. Additional Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) Sifat Mehnaz and UNICEF Health Manager Dr Riyad Mahmud attended the event as special guests, alongside participants including civil surgeons from all 10 districts of Khulna division, physicians, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officers, EPI superintendents, district primary education officers, representatives of UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), teachers and students, and NGO representatives.