HPV & Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Introduction

Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer in women worldwide. In 2018 it was estimated that there would be 528,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 266,000 deaths from this disease. The good news is that most cases of cervical cancer could be prevented through routine screening tests such as Pap smears and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name for a group of viruses that can cause warts, some cancers, and genital lesions

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name for a group of viruses that can cause warts, some cancers, and genital lesions. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States and affects men and women. About 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV. In most cases, people don’t know they have it because the virus often has no symptoms or only mild ones. But some types of HPV can lead to serious health problems like cancer if they aren’t treated promptly.

The HPV vaccine is licensed for girls and boys ages 9-26 to protect against most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts

The HPV vaccine is licensed for girls and boys ages 9-26 to protect against most cases of cervical cancer, genital warts, anal cancer, and throat cancers caused by HPV.

It’s recommended that children get 2 shots 6-12 months apart. Your child can get the vaccine at any time before they have sex for the first time. That means it’s okay to start before age 9 or 10 if your doctor recommends it.

Children who start the series late or skip a dose may need 3 doses (instead of 2) to be fully protected against HPV infection. If you’ve already had an abnormal Pap test result or high-grade precancerous changes in your cervix and you’re not sure when you were vaccinated, talk with your doctor about whether it would still be beneficial to continue with full vaccination series.

Your child doesn’t need a booster shot after getting vaccinated at 11 years old because there’s no evidence that additional protection against HPV infection is needed once this age has been achieved.”

Although there have been side effects reported after the HPV vaccine, as of 2018, no serious injuries or deaths have been linked to the vaccine in over eight years

Although there have been side effects reported after the HPV vaccine, as of 2018, no serious injuries or deaths have been linked to the vaccine in over eight years. The most common side effect is mild soreness, redness and swelling at the injection site. These reactions typically go away within a few days, but if they don’t you should call your doctor right away.

The HPV vaccine may also cause headache and fatigue (feeling tired). If these problems occur, talk with your health care provider about ways to manage them so you can continue to get the maximum benefit from vaccination.

HPV vaccines are less likely than natural infection with HPV to cause serious complications such as death or long term disability:

If you were already infected with any strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) before getting vaccinated against those strains, then getting another strain might make it worse (extended infection). This could result in more severe symptoms like pelvic pain or discharge—but this happens very rarely!

The HPV vaccine is safe and effective.

The HPV vaccine is safe.

The HPV vaccine is recommended for all girls and boys ages 9-26. To be effective, the HPV vaccine should be given before a person becomes sexually active. The earlier you get vaccinated, the better it works!

In fact, our research shows that when teens receive their first dose of Gardasil at age 11 or 12—and then receive two more doses at ages 13 through 15—they’re protected against cervical cancer and genital warts caused by certain types of HPV for at least a decade later in life.

There’s an ongoing debate about whether or not the HPV vaccine is too risky for young people to receive due to their immune systems being immature (and therefore unable to handle vaccines). But studies have shown that there are no serious side effects associated with this shot – so far!

Conclusion

The HPV vaccine is safe and effective. It can protect you from serious health problems like cervical cancer, which is why we recommend it to everyone who’s eligible.