(MENAFN- Costa Rica News) The post Human Papillomavirus Cases Have Increased by 44% in Costa Rica this Year appeared first on The Costa Rica News.

So far in 2025, human papillomavirus (HPV) cases have increased by 44.87% compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Ministry of Healt.

“During the first 28 weeks of this year, 407 cases have been reported, while in 2024, 281 were reported during the same period. This represents an increase of 126 diagnoses,” stated the Ministry of Health.

Regarding the most affected population, 90.91% are women with 370 cases. While men have 37 diagnoses, equivalent to 9.09%.“This difference could be explained by women's greater access to gynecological checkups or by underreporting among men, as they are often asymptomatic carriers of the virus,” the experts emphasize.

By age, 96.6% of cases are concentrated between 20 and 64 years of age, with 393 individuals. The 30-34 age group has 72 infections, the 35-39 age group has 86, and the 40-44 age group has 49 cases. Additionally, only 12 infections have been reported among people aged 15 to 19 and two among those over 65.

Most affected provinces

The data by province show that Puntarenas and Guanacaste are the regions with the highest number of cases. They are distributed in:

Puntarenas: 154 cases

Guanacaste: 101 cases

San José: 96 cases

Alajuela: 30 cases

Cartago: 15 cases

Heredia: 7 cases

Limón: 4 cases

Vaccine

HPV is a very common but preventable infection. The vaccine against this virus is included in the basic immunization schedule for girls and boys 10 years and older.

“Early detection through regular screenings, such as Pap smears, and comprehensive sexual education continue to be key to reducing the impact of the virus on the population, especially in areas with higher rates,” stated the Ministry of Health. In addition, Costa Rica will change the vaccine against the Human Papillomavirus, which increases protection against cancer by 90%.

Currently, the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) uses a quadrivalent vaccine that protects against four serotypes of the virus. However, it will soon migrate to a nonavalent version, capable of covering nine serotypes.

“With this change, protection against HPV-related cancers will increase from 70% to nearly 90%,” explained Roberto Arroba of the National Commission on Vaccination and Epidemiology (CNVE).

“This vaccine is not completely new; it has been on the market for several years, but is now available through the PAHO revolving fund. After the CNVE's analysis, it was decided to make the change to expand protection,” Arroba explained.

The new vaccine will protect not only against cervical cancer, but also against other types of cancer such as anal, rectal, and throat cancer. According to authorities, it is in the process of being purchased and imported into the country.

A single dose in the future?

The country is also analyzing the possibility of reducing the vaccination schedule to a single dose instead of two. Based on the results of the ESCUDDO study, led by the Costa Rican Agency for Biomedical Research (ACIB-Funin) and the National Cancer Institute of the United States.

This study, conducted in Costa Rica since 2017 with the participation of 20,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 20, demonstrated that a single dose of the HPV vaccin is just as effective as two doses in protecting against types 16 and 18, responsible for more than 70% of cervical cancer cases.

“Reducing vaccination to a single dose represents a more efficient, accessible, and scalable strategy for saving lives,” said Carolina Porras, physician and director of research at ACIB-Funin.

According to Arroba, the National Commission on Vaccination and Epidemiology has already invited the research group to an upcoming session to analyze the evidence. If finalized, the modification to the single-dose schedule could be implemented this year.

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The post Human Papillomavirus Cases Have Increased by 44% in Costa Rica this Year appeared first on The Costa Rica News.

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