HPV Vaccine – Human Papillomavirus
The disease
Most HPV infections don’t cause any symptoms and go away on their own. But HPV can cause cancer. One of these cancers, cervical cancer, is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women around the world. HPV can cause several less common types of cancer in both men and women. It can also cause genital warts and warts in the upper respiratory tract. There is no treatment for HPV infection, but the conditions it causes can be treated. Getting the HPV vaccine can help prevent infection.
The vaccine
The human papillomavirus vaccine is an inactivated (killed) vaccine that is given to protect against several HPV types. HPV vaccine prevents over 90% of cancers that are caused by the human papillomavirus. The vaccine is given to both females and males.
Women will still need cervical cancer screenings because the vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV. Knowing when to get the HPV vaccine is an important part of prevention. The vaccine is routinely recommended for girls and boys starting at 9 years old. It is given as a 2 or 3 dose series, depending on which age the first dose was given.
2 dose series: Used when starting series at the recommended age.
- 1st dose
- 2nd dose: 6 months after dose 1
3 dose series: Used when starting series at age 15 years or older.
- 1st dose
- 2nd dose: 1–2 months after dose 1
- 3rd dose: 6 months after dose 1
There are some exceptions to these dosing recommendations. Your clinician will discuss those with you as needed.
Side effects
Some mild HPV vaccine side effects can include redness, swelling and pain at the injection site, mild fever, itching at the injection site and moderate fever. These symptoms should not last long and should go away on their own.
