Important Information About HPV Vaccines
Posted on March 9, 2008
More than 100 types of human papilloma virus (HPV) are known to exist. More than 30 types of HPV are transmitted through sexual contact. At least 19 types of HPV cause cervical cancer in women and also cause cancer of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus and certain types of throat cancer.
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine called Gardasil, made by Merck & Co., for the prevention of infection by four types of HPV. Gardasil prevents infection by two cancer-causing HPV types (16 and 18 - responsible for 70% of cervical cancer in the United States) and two HPV types that cause genital warts (6 and 11 - responsible for about 90% of the HPV-induced genital warts in the United States).
A competitor of Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, has a vaccine under review by the FDA that they hope to have approved in the near future. This vaccine, called Cervarix, prevents infection with HPV types 16 and 18.
The FDA approved Gardisil for use in girls and women between the ages of 9 and 25 who have not ever been exposed to HPV. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends vaccination of girls at the ages of 11 or 12.
Both Gardisil and Cervarix are almost 100% effective against the virus types they contain, but are probably ineffective against all the strains they do not contain. How long the protective effect of either HPV vaccine lasts after inoculation is unknown, but many experts believe resistance to infection will last at least four years.
Even though the current HPV vaccine only protects against a limited number of HPV types, in the U.S. it makes sense for young women and girls to be vaccinated since the risk of injury and death from HPV infection is so high. The vaccine has very few side effects, and medical experts believe the risk of vaccination is extremely low in comparison to the benefit.
While some religious leaders are opposed to vaccination because they are worried that it will encourage sexual promiscuity, this “virginity or death” stance has no legitimate place in a civilized society. On the other hand, it makes little sense for politicians to force girls to be vaccinated since the commercial vaccine, while very profitable to its manufacturer, is only the beginning of the solution to worldwide HPV prevention.
The new HPV vaccines are clearly important medical progress in controlling life-threatening viral infections, but problems remain. If only females are vaccinated, the HPV reservoir in males will be unaffected and the threat to the human population as a whole is unlikely to be reduced. With HPV infections so high worldwide, it is likely that other HPV strains not included in the commercial vaccines will increase in frequency over time, leaving even vaccinated people susceptible.
From the standpoint of worldwide virus control, the high cost of the vaccine makes it too expensive for use in developing countries. Ongoing research should improve the breadth of effectiveness of HPV vaccines to include protection against essentially all virus strains. In addition, in the future there may be therapeutic vaccines to treat people already infected with HPV. For now, keep informed, remain skeptical of commercial advertising and unproved claims, but take advantage of this valuable advance in preventative medicine.
Visit us at http://www.mednewsyoucanuse.com/HPV.html for more information about this and related health care issues.
Article Author :Rob_Lester
Last 6 posts in Ovarian Cervical Uterine Cancer
- Cervical Cancer - What Are the Treatment Options? - August 25th, 2008
- What Are the Options on Cervical Cancer Treatment? - August 25th, 2008
- Ovarian Cysts Bleeding - August 13th, 2008
- A Real Breakthrough in the Treatment of Ovarian Cysts - August 9th, 2008
- Have Ovarian Cysts? - Don't Eat These Foods! - August 9th, 2008
- Complex Ovarian Cyst - August 9th, 2008
- Chemotherapy For Ovarian Cancer - August 9th, 2008
- Cures For Ovarian Cysts That Work - July 23rd, 2008
- The HPV Vaccine - Is it Worth Taking? - July 23rd, 2008
- Guide - Getting Through the 1st Chemotherapy - From the Perspective of the Caregiver - July 23rd, 2008
Mesothelioma is a cancer that occurs in the lining of the lungs. Its main cause is thought to be contact with asbestos. About 3000 new cases are reported every year in the United States, with about 8 million people having been exposed to asbestos in the last 50 years. Safety measures have been put into place in the last couple of decades so as to protect people from asbestos exposure; therefore, some think that the number of cases of mesothelioma will peak around 2020 and that it will begin to decline after that, since exposure to asbestos by then will… Continue reading
There are real, although very limited, benefits of diet and supplements in supporting mesothelioma. There’s nothing to buy that would prevent this horrible form of cancer, although eating fresh vegetables seems to tie in to a reduction in the rate of development. More recently, the medical literature suggests that one B vitamin may at least make one form of chemo for mesothelioma less toxic.
Dr. H. L Kindler of the Hematology/Oncology Section at the University of Chicago Hospitals finds that medically supervised folic acid supplementation probably decreases the toxicity of pemetrexed (Alimta). The research absolutely, positively does not suggest that anyone… Continue reading
Selecting the right mesothelioma lawyer can be a daunting task. In addition to the emotional strains and struggles you may be experiencing as a result of a mesothelioma diagnosis, it may feel like choosing an attorney for your legal case is too daunting. In this article we will explore how to find a mesothelioma attorney.
It is your responsibility and right to obtain the best legal advice you can when submitting a claim to the court for a mesothelioma negligence suit. Large sums of cash, potentially millions of dollars, are ultimately at stake and you don’t want to be unprepared for… Continue reading
Related posts
» Filed Under Ovarian Cervical Uterine Cancer
Comments
Leave a Reply
