The Safety and the Danger of the HPV Vaccination
1. The main danger of the HPV vaccination , truthfully, is for those who do not get vaccination: over 75% of Americans who are not vaccinated are at risk for HPV cancers including cervical cancer for women and penile cancer for men. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December of 2015 approved Gardasil 9, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine from Merck that prevents cancers and other lesions caused by nine HPV types, five more than the original Gardasil protected against. It was originally approved for 3 doses, but the FDA has approved a 2 dose schedule if you get the vaccine before age 15. Now the FDA has approved vaccination for those from 25-45 as well, speak to your health care provider if you are not yet vaccinated.
2. You have to get the vaccine in order to be protected. Do not assume you will no get exposed. There is no HPV infection cure. There is virtually 100% protection of the HPV type you get in a vaccine if you have not yet been exposed to the particular viruses in the vaccine.
3. It is critical that you are the one to be vaccinated, if you are the one that wants protection against HPV infection. Even though both boys and girls have been vaccinated for many years in the US, a new study indicates that if you were not vaccinated, your rate of getting HPV has not changed from your chances of getting HPV before the vaccine was invented. The study came out in the December 2016 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, lead by Dr Christopher Tarney.
4. The HPV vaccination does not lead to increased diagnosis of autoimmune diseases. study author Dr. Jeffrey Kwong at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto and at Public Health Ontario showed there was no link between the vaccine and the autoimmune conditions such lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
5. If you are allergic to yeast or latex, tell your doctor, you might react to the vaccination.
6. In over 200 million doses, it has been shown the vaccination does not cause cancer.
7. 90% of genital and rectal cancers are prevented by vaccination. The first vaccine protected against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Gardasil 9 covers these as well as types 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. These latter five are currently responsible for roughly one in five cases of cervical cancer. In the earlier vaccine there was some cross protection of other viruses, and since there are 14 HR types of HPV we can project some cross protection there as well. Gardasil is indicated for girls and boys ages 9-26. Gardasil 9 is given on the same schedule. There is no indication to repeat Gardasil if you have had the earliest version of the shot. And the risks are both low, and unchanged from the first Gardasil vaccination.
Gardasil 9, the current vaccine formulation, is indicated in females aged nine through 26 years for the prevention of:
Cervical, vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancer caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58
Genital warts caused by types 6 and 11
Various precancerous ( also known as dysplastic) lesions of the cervix, vulva, vagina, and anus caused by types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58
It is also indicated in males aged nine through 15 years for:
Anal cancer caused by types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58
Genital warts caused by types 6 and 11
Anal intraepithelial neoplasia grades 1, 2, and 3 caused by types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58.
8. If you work in health care, and are exposed to smoke, there is evidence that vaccination can help prevent air borne disease acquisition from these viruses. More information on today's decision is available on the CDC or the FDA's website. Or come in to www.womenshealthpractice.com to discuss .