The ISIS Project

HPV Vaccine

The goal of your immune system is to prevent illness by destroying any kinds of germs, such as viruses. When you receive a vaccine, the vaccine triggers your immune system's infection-fighting ability.

What can you tell me about the HPV vaccine?

Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (also known as the FDA) approved the HPV vaccine called Gardasil. Gardasil is given as 3 shots in a 6-month period. All 3 shots are needed for the vaccine to be fully effective. This vaccine protects against 4 types of HPV.

In the coming months there will be another vaccine called Cervarix to prevent HPV infection and cervical cancer. This vaccine will protect against the 2 types of high risk HPV that are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers. It will not protect against any types of HPV linked to genital warts.

Since the vaccine only covers 2 of the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer, women should continue to get their Pap test and H PV test to stay healthy.

Who should get the HPV vaccine?

The HPV vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for girls and young women ages 9 to 26. The vaccine is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) specifically for girls ages 11 and 12.

The vaccine has been widely tested in young women up to 26 years old. The vaccine is most effective in girls and women who have never been exposed to the HPV types covered by the vaccine. Girls and women who have not yet been infected with HPV will get the full benefit of the vaccine. The vaccine can also be given to girls and women who have been sexually active, have had an abnormal Pap test or genital warts. These girls and women will get some benefit from the vaccine.

While the vaccine has been widely tested in girls and women, only recently has testing begun in older women. In the future, the HPV vaccine may be available for older women as well.

How effective is this vaccine?

Studies submitted to the FDA have found the HPV vaccine to be effective.The vaccine has been found to be:

How safe is the vaccine?

The HPV vaccine is not a live virus. Because the HPV vaccine is not a live virus, there is no chance that you could get an HPV infection from the vaccine. The vaccine has been tested in about 11,000 girls and women. There is no evidence that the vaccine affects fertility or the reproductive tract.

Some common side effects of getting the vaccine include:

Recent reports of adverse health effects of the HPV vaccine are considered by CDC officials to be minor. Click here for more information on the HPV vaccine from CDC.

How much does the vaccine cost?

The vaccine is given in 3 doses within a 6-month period. The first shot is given followed by another in 2 months and the third dose at 6 months. The total cost of the vaccine is about $360.

Most large insurance companies cover the cost of the vaccine. Girls without insurance can get the vaccine through federal health programs. These federal health programs cover vaccines for uninsured children under the age of 19 years old. Some states also provide free or low cost vaccines through public health department clinics to those who can't afford the cost of the vaccine.