On June 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved a vaccine that prevents some strains of the human papiloma virus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer if left untreated. BWH's Dr. Elizabeth Garner answers some commonly asked questions about HPV, cervical cancer and the newly approved vaccine.
What is HPV?
HPV is a common, sexually transmitted virus that is currently carried by approximately 20 million people, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. There are many strains of HPV, but some high-risk strains have the potential to develop into cervical cancer or genital warts.
How is HPV related to cervical cancer?
Most women who contract HPV will clear it away naturally with their immune system within a year. However, some women, for reasons that are not entirely clear will develop precancerous cells, called dysplasia, and if left untreated, could develop into cervical cancer.
How prevalent is cervical cancer?
Every year cervical cancer kills about 270,000 women worldwide. Nearly 4,000 of those deaths are in the United States.
What is the HPV vaccine?
The vaccine is a series of three injections over a six-month period that are proven to be 100 percent effective in preventing the two strains of HPV that develop into about 70 percent of cervical cancers. The vaccine is also effective against HPV strains 6 and 11, which cause about 90 percent of genital warts cases.
Who should be vaccinated?
In order for the vaccine to be most effective, it should be administered before a person becomes sexually active. The FDA has approved it for females aged 9 to 26.
Is the vaccine safe?
The vaccine has been proven to be safe in thousands of females aged 9 to 26 with no serious side effects. The most common side effect is brief soreness at the injection site.
Will the vaccine prevent against all forms of cervical cancer?
No, the vaccine will not prevent about 30 percent of cervical cancers. It will still be important for women to continue to be screened for cervical cancer.
When will the vaccine be available to the public?
Now that the FDA has approved the vaccine, the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will make their recommendation about who should get the vaccine and what the best ages are for receiving it on June 29. Then it will be up to individual states to decide whether to add the vaccine to the list of others required before students may attend public schools.
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