Q. My daughter is 14 years old. Should she receive the HPV vaccine and is it safe?
A. Yes, your daughter should receive the vaccine. In June 2006 the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, voted unanimously to recommend that females between the ages of 11 and 26 receive the Gardasil vaccine to prevent infection with four types of the Human Papillomavirus, numbers 6, 11, 16, and 18. The Human Papillomavirus, also known as HPV, is a sexually transmitted disease which has been linked to the development of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous changes of the cervix, vagina, and external genitalia. HPV also causes genital warts.
In the United States approximately 20 million people are infected with HPV and about 80 percent of females will have been exposed to HPV by the time they are 50. Most infections with HPV resolve on their own but some high-risk types of HPV persist and lead to the development of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in women worldwide. In the U. S. about 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and an average of 10 women die each day from this disease.
HPV infections with high-risk types are frequently without symptoms and are usually first detected with a cervical cancer screening test called a pap smear. Although the progression from infection to cancer may take many years, if unrecognized and untreated, cervical cancer may develop. Genital warts are usually symptomatic and therefore detected earlier, but frequently require multiple uncomfortable treatments and many office visits before they are gone.
The Gardasil vaccine prevents infection with two low-risk types of HPV, 6 and 11, which are linked to 90 percent of all cases of genital warts and two high-risk types, 16 and 18, which are linked to 70 percent of all cases of cervical cancer. It is important to note that there are other types of HPV that exist and the vaccine does not provide protection from all of them. Safe sex practices and routine cervical cancer screening are still very important after receiving the vaccine.
The vaccine is very safe. It has been tested in thousands of women worldwide and has been found to be highly effective. The most common side effects include pain, swelling and redness at the sight of the injection. Nausea, fever, and fatigue are less common side effects. The vaccine is administered in three separate injections over a six month period.
In light of the high chance that females will be exposed to HPV through sexual contact at some point in their lives, this vaccine represents a significant advancement in women’s health and addresses a major health problem for women. It is important to note that heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual females are all at risk of being exposed to HPV and should consider vaccination. Females already exposed to HPV are also candidates for vaccination. Women who are over 26 years of age and who are at risk for exposure (single, more than one sexual partner) are also candidates for the vaccine. Infection with HPV represents a significant health issue for men as well, and it is likely that future vaccine recommendations will also include males. Clinical studies in this area are currently in progress.
Most insurance carriers in Vermont are providing complete coverage for the vaccine series. Some insurance companies require pre-certification by your doctor’s office but this is usually an easy process.
