Quadrivalent wart vaccine would prevent high cost of care for genital warts

In a recent study by Desai et al published in the journal Sexually Transmitted infection it was estimated that the annual cost of treating genital warts in general practice and genitourinary clinics was approximately £16.8 million. Most of this is potentially preventable if the government chooses the quadrivalent Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine which includes HPV typed 6 and 11 which are the commonest cause of genital infections in addition to types 16 and 18 which are the main causes of cervical cancer. Unfortunately the Department of Health currently advocates vaccination with a vaccine containing types 16 and 18 only which would not protect against genital warts and is also more expensive.

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