Why the HPV vaccine is more important than ever

(HealthDay) – The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common badually transmitted infection in the United States, with 14 million new cases each year.

While most people are able to eliminate the virus themselves, some strains of HPV cause cancer years after exposure. In fact, HPV-related cancers affect more than 30,000 Americans each year.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe that these numbers could be significantly reduced if all children were vaccinated against HPV, which targets the HPV strains most badociated with cancer. But not enough children have this important form of cancer prevention.

Cancers caused by HPV

• Cervical cancer, bad and vulva in women
• Penis cancer in humans
• Cancers of the throat and anus in both bades

The vaccine, approved for the first time in the United States in 2006, can prevent up to 90% of these cancers as well as bad warts, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Despite the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine – more than 80 million doses were administered safely – misconceptions still prevent many parents from vaccinating their children. Some think that it is not necessary if their child is not yet badually active, that boys do not need it, or that it will lead to an increase in badual activity in adolescents, which is not the case.

The vaccine is most effective when administered between 11 and 12 years of age. At this age, it involves two doses, spaced six to 12 months apart. For older children and adults, three doses are given over six months.

All private insurers are required to cover the costs for teens and pre-teens under the Affordable Care Act. Talk to your child's pediatrician to find out if he is ready to receive the HPV vaccine.

For adults who have not received the HPV vaccine as a child, it is important to note that in 2018, the FDA extended the age limit to 45 years, in men as in women.

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