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The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection, which is responsible for virtually all-cervical cancer. Additionally, infection with HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% of anogenital warts (AGW). Our recent publication examined the effectiveness of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (qHPV) against the development of AGW in Manitoba. Since AGW incidence peaks months after HPV infection compared to years required to develop cervical cancer the effectiveness of qHPV at reducing the incident risk of AGW provides a good proxy for the ability of vaccination to prevent HPV associated disease.

Despite yearly decreases in HIV prevalence and transmission due to increased education, condom use, and treatment the HIV epidemic in India remains the third largest in the world. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) provides a promising new HIV intervention to reduce HIV infection rates among high-risk populations. VDEC director Dr. Salah Mahmud is collaborating on the India PrEP trial, which seeks to examine the feasibility and impact of providing PrEP along with current preventative measures to female sex workers who are at high risk of HIV infection.

We would like to congratulate Vaccine and Drug Evaluation Centre associated researcher Dr. Xibiao Ye on his Early Career Researcher Program Principal Investigator Award.

Lymphoma is a group of cancers originating within the immune system when cells that normally fight infection undergo changes resulting in their uncontrolled expansion. The type of lymphoma that develops depends on the cell type in which the changes occur. We recently published a study examining 30-year time trends (1984-2014) in adult lymphoma incidence, mortality and relative survival in Manitoba, Canada.

Influenza is particularly dangerous in the elderly. However, the elderly often have a reduced response to vaccine complicating control of the flu in this vulnerable group. Our recent publication compared the efficiency of both high and low-dose influenza vaccine in people > 65 years old finding that patients receiving high-dose vaccine had a significant reduction in the risk of developing laboratory-confirmed influenza infection.

Infection with pneumococcal bacteria causes serious diseases such as meningitis and bacteremia, collectively known as invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), as well as lung, sinuses, and middle ear infections. In a newly published study, we followed the incidence of IPD in Manitoba between 2001 and 2014.

It is now known that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is required for the development of cervical cancer. We published one of the first population-based studies examining the ability of vaccines against HPV to reduce cervical dysplasia, which is an early step in the development of cervical cancer.