How
effective is this vaccine?
The vaccine has mainly been studied
in young women who had not been exposed to any of the four vaccine HPV types.
These studies found the vaccine to be 100% effective in preventing cervical precancers
caused by the vaccine HPV types. These studies also found it to be almost 100%
effective in preventing precancers of the vulva and vagina, and genital warts
that are caused by the vaccine HPV types. The vaccine was less effective in young
women who had already been exposed to a vaccine HPV type. This vaccine does not
treat existing HPV, genital warts, precancers or cancers.
Will
sexually active females benefit from the vaccine?
Females
who are sexually active may also benefit from the vaccine. But they may get less
benefit from the vaccine since they may have already acquired one or more vaccine
HPV type(s). Still, they would get protection against the vaccine HPV types they
have not yet acquired. Few young women are infected with all four vaccine HPV
types. Currently, there is no test available to tell whether a girl/woman has
had any or all of the four vaccine HPV types.
How
and when is the vaccine delivered?
The vaccine is given through
a series of three injections over a six-month period. The second and third doses
should be given two and six months (respectively) after the first dose.
Is
the HPV vaccine safe?
The FDA has approved the HPV vaccine as
safe and effective. This vaccine has been tested in over 11,000 females (ages
9-26 years) in many countries around the world. These studies have shown no serious
side effects. The most common side effect is soreness at the injection site.
Does
this vaccine contain thimerosal or mercury?
No. There is no thimerosal
or mercury in the HPV vaccine. It is made up of proteins from the outer coat of
the virus (HPV). There is no infectious material in this vaccine.
How
much will the HPV vaccine cost?
The retail price of the vaccine
is $120 per dose ($360 for full series).
Will
girls/women who have been vaccinated still need cervical cancer screening?
Yes.
There are three reasons why women will still need regular cervical cancer screening.
First, the vaccine will NOT provide protection against all types of HPV that cause
cervical cancer, so vaccinated women will still be at risk for some cancers. Second,
some women may not get all required doses of the vaccine (or they may not get
them at the right times), so they may not get the vaccine's full benefits. Third,
women may not get the full benefit of the vaccine if they receive it after they've
already acquired a vaccine HPV type.
Will
the HPV vaccine be covered by insurance plans?
While some insurance
companies may cover the vaccine, others may not. Most large group insurance plans
usually cover the costs of recommended vaccines. However, there is often a short
lag-time after a vaccine is recommended, before it is available and covered by
health plans.
What
kind of government programs may be available to cover HPV vaccine?
Federal
health programs such as Vaccines for Children (VFC) will cover the HPV vaccine.
The VFC program provides free vaccines to children and adolescents under 19 years
of age, who are either uninsured, Medicaid-eligible, American Indian, or Alaska
Native. There are over 45,000 sites that provide VFC vaccines, including hospital,
private, and public clinics. The VFC Program also allows children and adolescents
to get VFC vaccines through Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health
Centers, if their private health insurance does not cover the vaccine.
Some
states also provide free or low-cost vaccines at public health department clinics
to people without health insurance coverage for vaccines.
Genital
HPV
Why
is HPV important?
Genital HPV is a common virus that is passed
on through genital contact, most often during vaginal and anal sex. About 40 types
of HPV can infect the genital areas of men and women. While most HPV types cause
no symptoms and go away on their own, some types can cause cervical cancer in
women. These types also have been linked to other less common genital cancers,
including cancers of the anus, vagina, and vulva (area around the opening of the
vagina). Other types of HPV can cause warts in the genital areas of men and women,
called genital warts.
How
common is HPV?
At least 50% of sexually active people will get
HPV at some time in their lives. Every year in the U.S., about 6.2 million people
get HPV. HPV is most common in young women and men who are in their late teens
and early 20s.
Anyone
who has ever had genital contact with another person can get HPV. Both men and
women can get it - and pass it on to their sex partners- without even realizing
it.
How
common are Genital Warts?
About 1% of sexually active adults in
the U.S. (about 1 million people) have visible genital warts at any point in time.
Is HPV
the same thing as HIV or Herpes?
HPV is NOT the same as HIV or
Herpes (Herpes simplex virus or HSV). While these are all viruses that can be
sexually transmitted- HIV and HSV do not cause the same symptoms or health problems
as HPV.
Can
HPV and its associated diseases be treated?
There is no treatment
for HPV. But there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can
cause, such as genital warts, cervical cell changes, and cancers of the cervix,
vulva, vagina and anus.
How
is HPV related to cervical cancer?
Some types of HPV can infect
a woman's cervix (lower part of the womb) and cause the cells to change. Most
of the time, HPV goes away on its own. When HPV is gone, the cervix cells go back
to normal. But sometimes, HPV does not go away. Instead, it lingers (persists)
and continues to change the cells on a woman's cervix. These cell changes can
lead to cancer over time, if they are not treated.
Cervical
Cancer
How
common is cervical cancer in the United States (U.S.)? How many women die from
it?
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2006, over 9,700
women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,700 women will die from this
cancer in the U.S.
Are
there other ways to prevent cervical cancer?
Regular Pap tests
and follow-up can prevent most, but not all, cases of cervical cancer. Pap tests
can detect cell changes (or "precancers") in the cervix before they turn
into cancer. Pap tests can also detect most, but not all, cervical cancers at
an early, curable stage. Most women diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S.
have either never had a Pap test, or not had a Pap test in the last 5 years.
There
is also an HPV DNA test available for use with the Pap test, as part of cervical
cancer screening. This test is used for women over 30 or for women who get an
unclear (borderline) Pap test result. While this test can tell if a woman has
HPV on her cervix, it cannot tell which types of HPV she has.
Other
Questions about the HPV Vaccine
What
HPV types does the vaccine protect against?
The new HPV vaccine protects
against the two HPV types that cause most (70%) cervical cancers (types 16 and
18), and the two HPV types that cause most (90%) genital warts (types 6 and 11).
What
does the vaccine not protect against?
Because the vaccine
does not protect against all types of HPV, it will not prevent all cases
of cervical cancer or genital warts. About 30% of cervical cancers will not
be prevented by the vaccine, so it will be important for women to continue getting
screened for cervical cancer (regular Pap tests). Also, the vaccine does not
prevent about 10% of genital warts-nor will it prevent other STIs- so it will
still be important for sexually active adults to reduce exposure to HPV and other
STIs.
How
long does vaccine protection last? Will a booster shot be needed?
The
length of vaccine protection (immunity) is usually not known when a vaccine is
first introduced. So far, studies have followed women for five years and found
that they are protected. More research is being done to find out how long protection
will last, and if a booster vaccine is needed years later.
Why
is the vaccine only recommended for girls/women ages 9 to 26?
The
vaccine has been extensively tested in 9-to-26 year-old girls/women, but research
on the vaccine's efficacy has only recently begun with males, and with women older
than 26 years of age. The FDA will consider licensing the vaccine for these other
groups when the research is completed to show that it is safe and effective in
those groups.
Why
is HPV vaccine recommended for such young girls?
Ideally, females
should get the vaccine before they are sexually active-since this vaccine is most
effective in girls/women who have not yet acquired any of the HPV vaccine types.
Girls/women who have not been infected with any vaccine HPV type will
get the full benefits of the vaccine.
Should
girls/women be screened before getting vaccinated?
No. Girls/women
should not get an HPV test or Pap test to determine if they should get the vaccine.
An HPV test or a Pap test can tell that a woman may have HPV, but these tests
cannot tell the specific HPV type(s) that a woman has. Even girls/women with one
vaccine HPV type could get protection against the other vaccine HPV types they
have not yet acquired.
What
about vaccinating boys?
We do not yet know if the vaccine is effective
in boys or men. It is possible that vaccinating males will have health benefits
for them by preventing genital warts and rare cancers, such as penile and anal
cancer. It is also possible that vaccinating boys/men will have indirect health
benefits for girls/women. Studies are now being done to find out if the vaccine
works to prevent HPV infection and disease in males. When more information is
available, this vaccine may be licensed and recommended for boys/men as well.
Currently, the vaccine is licensed only for use in females ages 9 to 26.
Should
pregnant women be vaccinated?
The vaccine is not recommended
for pregnant women. There has been limited research looking at vaccine safety
for pregnant women and their developing fetus. So far, studies suggest that the
vaccine has not caused health problems during pregnancy, nor has it caused health
problems for the infant-- but more research is still needed. For now, pregnant
women should complete their pregnancy before getting the vaccine. If a woman finds
out she is pregnant after she has started getting the vaccine series, she should
complete her pregnancy before finishing the three-dose series.
Will
girls/women be protected against HPV and related diseases, even if they don't
get all three doses?
It is not yet known how much protection girls/women
would get from receiving only one or two doses of the vaccine. For this reason,
it is very important that girls/women get all three doses of the vaccine.
Will
girls be required to get vaccinated before they enter school?
There
are no federal laws that require children or adolescents to get vaccinated. All
school and daycare entry laws are state laws-so they vary from state to state.
To find out what vaccines are needed for children or adolescents to enter school
or daycare in your state, check with your state health department or board of
education.
Are
there other HPV vaccines in development?
Another HPV vaccine is
in the final stages of clinical testing, but it is not yet licensed. This vaccine
would protect against the two types of HPV that cause most (70%) cervical cancers
(types 16, 18).
Are
there other ways to prevent HPV?
The only sure way to prevent
HPV is to abstain from all sexual activity. Sexually active adults can reduce
their risk by being in a mutually faithful relationship with someone who has had
no other or few sex partners, or by limiting their number of sex partners. But
even persons with only one lifetime sex partner can get HPV, if their partner
has had previous partners.
It
is not known how much protection condoms provide against HPV, since areas that
are not covered by a condom can be exposed to the virus. However, condoms may
reduce the risk of genital warts and cervical cancer. They can also reduce the
risk of HIV and some other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), when used consistently
and correctly (i.e. all the time and the right way).
Source
HPV
Vaccine Questions and Answers
http://www.cdc.gov/
SUSCRIBASE 
