YOU SHOULD KNOW

About the HPV Vaccine

Partners for Women’s Health will be offering the new HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine. The protection from the HPV vaccine is expected to be long-lasting and should prevent most cases of cervical cancer. There are recommended age requirements for receiving the vaccine. We will vaccinate patients age 19 through age 26. Younger patients will be referred to their pediatricians.

Vaccine clinics will start the week of March 19. Please call our office at (603) 778-0557 to see if you qualify to receive the vaccine.

What is HPV?

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. There are about 40 types of HPV. About 20 million people in the U.S. are infected, and about 6.2 million more get infected each year. HPV is spread through sexual contact.

Most HPV infections don’t cause any symptoms and go away on their own. But HPV is important because it can cause cervical cancer in women. Every year in the U.S. about 10,000 women get cervical cancer and 3,700 die from it. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women around the world.

HPV is also associated with several less common types of cancer in both men and women. It also causes genital warts and warts in the upper respiratory tract. More than 50 percent of sexually active men and women are infected with HPV at some point in their lives.

There is no treatment for HPV, but the conditions it causes can be treated.

Why get vaccinated?

The HPV vaccine is not a live vaccine, and it protects against the four major types of HPV. These include the two types that cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers, and the two types that cause about 90 percent of genital warts. The HPV vaccine can prevent most genital warts and most cases of cervical cancer.

Although protection from the HPV vaccine is expected to be long-lasting, vaccinated women still need cervical cancer screening because the vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV that cause cancer.

Who should get the HPV vaccine and when?

The HPV vaccine is ideally administered to girls 11-12 years of age. Doctors may give it to girls as young as nine years. HPV is given to girls at these ages because it is important for girls to get the HPV vaccine before their first sexual contact--before they are exposed to HPV. For these girls, the vaccine can prevent almost 100 percent of the diseases caused by the four types of HPV targeted by the vaccine.

However, if a girl or woman is already infected with a type of HPV, the vaccine will not prevent disease from that type.

Therefore, the vaccine is also recommended for girls and women 13 through 26 years of age who did not receive it when they were younger.

How is it administered?

The HPV vaccine is given as a three-dose series, with the second dose coming two months after dose one, and the third and final dose coming six months after dose one. Booster doses are not recommended.

The HPV vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

Who should NOT get the vaccine?

Anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to yeast or any other component of the HPV vaccine, or to a previous dose of the HPV vaccine, should not get the vaccine. Tell your doctor if you, or the person getting the vaccine, has ANY severe allergies.

Pregnant women should not get the vaccine; the vaccine appears to be safe for mothers and their unborn babies, but further studies are needed. Receiving the vaccine while pregnant is NOT a reason to terminate the pregnancy.

Any women who learns she was pregnant when she received the vaccine is encouraged to call the HPV Vaccine in Pregnancy Registry at 800-986-8999.

Breastfeeding women can safely get the vaccine.

People who are mildly ill when the shot is scheduled can still get the HPV vaccine; those who are moderately or severely ill should wait until they recover.

What are the risks from the HPV vaccine?

The HPV vaccine does not appear to cause any serious side effects. However, any vaccine can cause potentially serious problems, such as an allergic reaction. The risk of any vaccine causing serious harm or death is extremely small.

Mild problems that you might experience include:

* Pain at the injection site (about 8 people in 10).

* Redness or swelling at the injection site (about 1 person in 4)

* Mild fever (100 degrees F) (about 1 person in 10)

* Itching at the injection site (about 1 person in 30)

* Moderate fever (102 degrees F) (about 1 person in 65)

These symptoms do not last long and go away on their own. Life-threatening reactions to a vaccine are very rare. If they were to occur, it would be within a few minutes to a few hours after vaccination.

What if there is a severe reaction?

Things to look for are any unusual condition, such as a high fever or behavior changes. Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heartbeat, or dizziness.

If any of these occur, call a doctor or get to a doctor right away.

Tell your doctor when the symptoms occurred, and the date and time they occurred, and when the vaccine was given.

Ask your doctor or nurse to report the reaction by filing a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System form.

How can I learn more?

Ask your doctor or nurse. They can show you the vaccine package information, and also

answer any additional questions. You may also call the Center for Disease Control at 1-800-232-4636, or visit the CDC web site at www.cdc.gov/std/hpv.