HPV Vaccine Information and FAQ
ABOUT HPV: Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S., affecting about 20-million people at any time. Each year, there are about 6.2 million new infections, according to the CDC.
People with HPV rarely exhibit any symptoms. However, some strains of the virus can carry serious consequences, causing cervical cancer and genital warts.
About 10,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, about 3,700 die from it. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, nearly 27% of women ages 14 to 59 have some form of HPV. Although only 3% have one of the strains covered by the new vaccine, the strains of HPV the vaccine does cover are blamed for about 70% of fatal cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts.
ABOUT THE VACCINE: Gardasil is the FDA-approved vaccine that blocks the 4 most common strains of HPV, #6, #11, #16 and #18.
Common Questions
Below are the answers from the Department of Health and Human Services to some of the most commonly asked questions.
Why Get Vaccinated? HPV vaccine is an inactivated (not live) vaccine that protects against 4 major types of HPV. HPV can prevent most genital warts and most cases of cervical cancer. Women will still need to get cervical cancer screenings because the vaccine does not protect against ALL types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.
Who should get HPV vaccine and when? The vaccine is routinely recommended for girls 11-12 years of age but doctors may give it to girls as young as 9. The vaccine is given in 3 doses. It is important to have the vaccine BEFORE their first sexual contact…before exposure to HPV. In this way, the vaccine can prevent almost 100% of diseases caused by the 4 types of HPV targeted by the vaccine. The vaccine is also recommended for girls and women 13-26 years of age who did not receive it when they were younger. HPV vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.
Some girls or women should not get HPV vaccine or should wait. Anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to yeast, or any other component of HPV vaccine, or to a previous dose of HPV vaccine should not get the vaccine. Tell the doctor if the person getting the vaccine has any severe allergies. Also those who are mildly ill can get HPV vaccine but if the illness is moderate or severe, people should wait until they recover.
What about pregant women? Pregnant women should not get the vaccine. The vaccine appears to be safe for both the mother and her unborn baby, but it is still being studied. Receiving HPV vaccine when pregnant is NOT a reason for termination. Women who are breast feeding may safely get the vaccine.
What are the risks from the HPV vaccine? HPV vaccine does not appear to cause any serious side effects. However, a vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of any vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.
Some mild problems may occur such as: pain at the injection site (about 8 out of 10), redness or swelling at the injection site (about 1 out of 4), mild fever (100) (about 1 out of 10), itching at the injection site (about 1 out of 30), and moderate fever (102) (about 1 in 65). These symptoms do not last long and go away on their own. Life-threatening allergic reactions from vaccines are very rare and if they do occur, it would be within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.
What if there is a severe reaction? Any unusual condition, such as a high fever or behavior changes are a sign of a serious allergetic reaction. Other signs may include difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heart beat or dizziness.
In the event of a severe reaction, call a doctor or get the person to a doctor right away. Tell the doctor what happened, the date and time it happened, and when the vaccination was given. Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to report the reaction by filing a Vaccine Adverse Even Reporting System (VAERS) form. Or you can file a report at www.vaers.hhs.gov or by calling 1-800-822-7967. VAERS does not provide medical advice.
Where to learn more information. Ask your doctor or nurse. They can show you the vaccine package insert or suggest other sources of information. Call your local or state health department.
Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Call 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO)
Visit CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/std/hpv and www.cdc.gov/nip
Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in the Contemporary Women’s Care website should be relied upon for medical education purposes only. It is not intended to replace the independent judgment of a health care provider. The appropriateness of a course of treatment for a patient may vary from the medical information provided herein due to individual conditions and/or complications.
