HPV Vaccine: What You Need to Know: CDC Information Document

The following is the Centers for Disease Control vaccine information statement for the HPV vaccine. The Flagler Department of Health is seeking to increase immunization of children and adolescents against HPV, especially among 9 to 11 year olds. See related stories here and here.

1. Why get vaccinated?

The HPV vaccine prevents infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) types associated with many cancers, including:

• cervical cancer in women,
• vaginal and vulvar cancers in women,
• anal cancer in women and men,
• throat cancer in women and men, and
• penile cancer in men.

In addition, the HPV vaccine prevents infection with HPV types that cause genital warts in men and women.

In the United States, about 12,000 women have cervical cancer each year and about 4,000 die from it. The HPV vaccine can prevent most of these cases of cervical cancer.

Vaccination does not replace cervical cancer screening. This vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer. Women should still have regular Pap tests.

HPV infection usually comes from sexual contact and most people will be infected at some point in their lives. About 14 million Americans, including teenagers, are infected each year. Most infections will disappear on their own without causing serious problems. But thousands of women and men contract cancer and other diseases because of HPV.

2. HPV vaccine

The HPV vaccine is approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC for men and women. It is administered routinely at the age of 11 or 12, but it can be administered from the age of 9 years and up to the age of 26 years.

Most adolescents 9 to 14 years of age should receive two doses of HPV vaccine at intervals of 6 to 12 months. Individuals who begin HPV vaccination at 15 years of age should receive the three-dose serial vaccine, with the second dose given 1 to 2 months after the first dose and the third dose 6 months after the first dose. There are several exceptions to these age recommendations. Your health care provider can give you more information.

3. Some people should not receive this vaccine:

• Anyone who has had a serious (life-threatening) allergic reaction to one dose of HPV vaccine should not be given another dose.
• Anyone with a serious (life-threatening) allergy to any of the components of the HPV vaccine should not receive it.

If you have serious allergies, including severe yeast allergy, talk to your doctor.

• The HPV vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women. If you learn that you were pregnant at the time of your vaccination, there is no reason to expect any problems for you or your baby. Any woman who learns that she was pregnant when she receives the HPV vaccine is encouraged to contact the manufacturer's registry to receive the HPV vaccine during pregnancy at 1-800-986-8999. Nursing women can be vaccinated.
• If you have a mild illness, such as a cold, you can probably get vaccinated right now. If you are moderately or seriously ill, you should probably wait for your convalescence. Your doctor can advise you.

4. Risks of a vaccine reaction

All medicines, including vaccines, can cause side effects. These are usually benign and disappear on their own, but severe reactions are also possible.

Most people who are vaccinated against HPV do not have any serious problems.

Moderate or mild problems after the HPV vaccine administration:

• Reactions in the arm where the blow was given:
  • Pain (about 9 out of 10 people)
  • Redness or swelling (about 1 in 3 people)
• Fever:
  • Gentle (100 ° F) (about 1 in 10 people)
  • Moderate (102 ° F) (about 1 in 65 people)
• Other problems:
  • Headache (about 1 in 3 people)

Problems that may occur after any injected vaccine:

• People sometimes faint after a medical procedure, including vaccination. Sitting or lying down for about 15 minutes can help prevent fainting and injuries from falling. Tell your doctor if you feel dizzy, have trouble seeing, or have ringing in your ears.
• Some people feel intense pain in the shoulder and have trouble moving their arms when a shot has been given. It happens very rarely.
• Any medicine can cause a serious allergic reaction. Such vaccine reactions are very rare, estimated at about one in a million doses and would occur from minutes to hours after vaccination.

As with any medication, there is a very low risk that a vaccine will cause a serious injury or death.

Vaccine safety is always monitored. For more information, visit: www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/.

5. What happens if there is a serious reaction?

What should I look for?

Look for everything that concerns you, such as signs of a severe allergic reaction, a very high fever, or unusual behavior.

Signs of a severe allergic reaction may include hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and weakness. These usually begin a few minutes to a few hours after vaccination.

What should I do?

If you think you have a serious allergic reaction or other emergency that is not waiting for you, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital. If not, call your doctor.

Then the reaction should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Your doctor should file this report or you can do it yourself on the VAERS website at www.vaers.hhs.gov or by calling 1-800-822-7967. VAERS does not give medical advice.

6. National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal program that was created to compensate people who may have been injured by certain vaccines.

People who think they have been hurt by a vaccine can find out more about the program and filing a claim by calling 1-800-338-2382 or by visiting the VICP website at http://www.vicp.org. address www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation. There is a time limit to file a claim for compensation.

7. How can I find out more?

• Ask your health care provider. He can give you the vaccine leaflet or suggest other sources of information.
• Call your local or state health department.
• Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
  • Call 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO) or
  • Visit the CDC website at cdc.gov/hpv

CDC Vaccine Information Bulletin, HPV Vaccine, December 2, 2016, 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-26, Department of Health and Social Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many information statements about vaccines are available in Spanish and in other languages. See www.immunize.org/vis.

Business information is available in Spanish and in many other ideas. Visit http://www.immunize.org/vis.