Ann Intern Med

Could cervical screening be safely scaled back in HPV vaccinated women?

February 3, 2026

According to an individual‑based modeling study of HPV‑vaccinated women in Norway, cervical cancer screening could be performed far less often than current recommendations without compromising health benefits. Using published data and accounting for health‑care costs and patient time, researchers found that less intensive strategies were consistently preferred across vaccine types. For women vaccinated before age 25, optimal approaches involved screening every 15 to 25 years—just two to three lifetime tests—while women vaccinated by age 30 also benefited from substantially less frequent screening than 5‑year intervals. Findings held even with missed screenings or waning vaccine protection and were associated with fewer unnecessary follow‑ups.

Clinical takeaway: Consider age at HPV vaccination when counseling patients and watch for guideline updates supporting tailored, less frequent screening.

Source:

(2026, February 3). Ann Intern Med. Optimizing Cervical Cancer Screening by Age at Vaccination for Human Papillomavirus: Health and Resource Implications. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-03192