A vaccine to prevent Cancer… this is the answer!!!
Accurate information about Gardasil® vaccine.
There are two vaccinations that are FDA approved for the immunization against HPV. One is Cervarix® and the other is Gardasil®. The main difference between the two is that Gardasil® protects against the two most aggressive strains of HPV that lead to cervical cancer (Types 16 and 18) as well as provides protection against the two most common strains that develop into genital warts (types 6 and 11). Cervarix® only protects against types 16 and 18.
Gardasil® was approved by the FDA in 2006 and has been administered to millions of young girls/women and now also has FDA approval in boys/men all between the ages of 9-26 years old. There is tremendous debate over whether or not to mandate this vaccine as required but at this point it is only recommended and at the discretion of the patient and his/her parents.
Gardasil® is NOT a LIVE virus. It is not possible to contract HPV from the vaccine. You must complete all three parts of the immunization to receive the most benefit toward protection. The vaccine is most beneficial if administered prior to any sexual activity, including oral and digital and when all three shots are received in the normal schedule within 12 months between the first and third injection.
The age range that receives the greatest benefit toward HPV prevention is the 9-12 year old range. This is because 10% of adolescents are sexually active by the age of 13 and 33% are sexually active by 9th grade. Therefore immunizing these young adolescents is key before they become sexually active.
Some parents may have concerns about this immunization and its link to sexual contact and therefore may not want to have their kids immunized because they may feel they are protected from diseases associated with sex. It is important to first realize that HPV can lead to cancer of the cervix, lower genital tract, head and neck and possibly many other cancers that are yet to be identified as a result of HPV exposure. In the same respect as HPV being sexually transmitted, so is Hepatitis B and newborn babies are administered their first injection at birth, the second at 2 months of age and the 3rd at 6 months of age. If you as a parent are uncomfortable discussing the transmission of HPV with your adolescent it is recommended that your child’s pediatrician discuss Sexually Transmitted Diseases with your child or bring her to an OB/GYN to discuss risks and receive the vaccine.
At this point in time we know that Gardasil® has shown a reduction in abnormal cell growth on the cervix for 7-8 years as well as a reduction in the occurrence of genital warts. At sometime in the future we may need to administer booster shots but at this point there continues to be a long term benefit with no suggestion of booster.
For those patients, ages 9-26, which are already sexually active, it is strongly encouraged that you complete the Gardasil® immunization series, even if you already have HPV. Immunizations help the body to fight infection and viruses faster and more appropriately and with greater than 100 strains of HPV identified it is possible that you may not already be exposed to the 4 most concerning that are in the Gardasil® vaccine.
The recommended immunization schedule for Gardasil® is to receive the first injection between ages 9-12 if possible, or as soon as it has become available to you. The second injection is given 2 months later and the 3rd injection given 4 months after the second. Again the data does show a similar benefit to protection if all three injections are given within a 12 month period between the first and third injection.
The most common side effect is syncope (or passing out) and only occurs in less than ½ of 1% of the time. Deep vein thrombosis and a very rare death have been reported but have been determined to be no greater risk than that of the general population.
There is newer research currently focusing on a vaccine development that is targeting 9 different strains. It is undisclosed at this time as to what strains the vaccine will contain and what it means for previous Gardasil® recipients.
If you are interested in receiving the Gardasil® series and either haven’t started or need to complete the series please call our office.
The following websites are excellent resources for HPV and I encourage you to educate yourself about the virus and ways of prevention.
Ashastd.org
cdc.gov/std/hpv
arhp.org
acs.org
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