What kinds of vaccines are there to prevent HPV?
As mentioned, three vaccines have been licensed so far: bivalent, quadrivalent, and nonavalent. The last two are effective in preventing genital and anal warts. Of all kinds of HPV that exist, more than 40 are transmitted by direct sexual contact, there are two that cause genital warts and about 12 that cause cancers.
Like other vaccines, HPV vaccines stimulate the body to make antibodies that bind to the virus when a person is exposed and prevent it from infecting cells. What needs to be clarified is that vaccines do not protect against other sexually transmitted diseases or treat existing HPV infections or diseases caused by HPV.
PHOTO: GABRIELA PÉREZ MONTIEL / CUARTOSCURO.COM
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It was in 2006 when it was launched on the international market the first vaccine against HPV, the quadrivalent. It protects against HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 with an efficacy of 99% against lesions on the cervix, 100% against lesions on the vulva and vagina, as well as 99% against external genital lesions.
The bivalent vaccine was introduced a year later, in 2007, against HPV 16 and 18. It is almost 100% effective against cervical lesions. Finally, the nonavalent vaccine protects the person against the HPV 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 viruses.
The three FDA-approved vaccines are Gardasil, Gardasil 9 y Cervarix.
All three protect against infection by HPV types 16 and 18, two of the high-risk human papillomaviruses that cause about 70% of cervical cancers and an even higher percentage of some of the other cancers caused by HPV. Gardasil also protects against infection by HPV types 6 and 11, which cause 90% of genital warts. Gardasil 9 protects against infection by the same four types of HPV and five other types of HPV that cause cancer (31, 33, 45, 52, and 58).
When should the HPV vaccine be given?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV vaccination is recommended for these population groups:
- Infants and adults between 9 and 26 years of age. Generally, it is recommended to apply the vaccine at 11 or 12 years of age, although it can be applied from the age of 9. In the event that a child has not been vaccinated, they can do so until they are 26 years old.
- Adults between 27 and 45 years old. In the United States, the vaccine is licensed for people up to age 45, but it is not recommended for all adults in general. Each person should consult with their doctor to determine if they require the vaccine, as it is less beneficial in this age group of people who have already been exposed to the virus at some point.
For boys and girls who receive the vaccine before the age of 15, two doses of either vaccine are required for complete protection. People who receive the vaccine after that age require three doses, although the efficacy of the single-dose vaccine is currently being evaluated.
Only the doctor in question determines what type of vaccine is applied to each patient.
ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO: ADOLFO VLADIMIR /CUARTOSCURO.COM
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Where can I get the HPV vaccine?
In Mexico, the Ministry of Health, the IMSS, and the state health secretariats offer HPV vaccination campaigns to school-age girls and boys, specifically at 11 years of age, although vaccination campaigns in schools generally focus on girls to prevent cervical cancer.
During the National Vaccination Weeks, HPV vaccination modules are installed in schools throughout the country, in addition to hospitals in the health sector, health centers and medical units in general.
If you have a daughter, a niece, you are a guardian of a girl who is around 11 years old, Go to the nearest health center or IMSS unit that corresponds to you to be informed when they apply HPV vaccines.
Generally, vaccination campaigns arrive at schools and ask parents for authorization to apply the doses.
Foto ilustrativa: Getty Images
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If you choose to apply the vaccine in a hospital or private office, prices in Mexico range from 1,000 to more than 2,000 pesos per dose, requiring three doses for a person over 15 years of age.
According to the WHO, in 2020, 13% of girls ages 9 to 14 worldwide were vaccinated against HPV. It’s very little, isn’t it? And here is another piece of information even more worrisome: in the countries that register almost two thirds of cervical cancer in the world, they have not yet introduced this vaccine.
Let’s not let time pass and get vaccinated against HPV to prevent cancers and the generalized transmission of the disease.
The fifth leading cause of death in women: What is cervical cancer and how can it be prevented?
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