Two vaccines against HPV have been approved for use in the U.S., according to the Food and Drug Administration. Gardisil brand may be given to females or males aged 9 to 26 yrs old to prevent genital warts. The vaccine is intended to prevent cervical cancer and some male cancers like penile cancer and anal cancer, which are caused by certain strains of the HPV vaccine. The FDA has approved Cervarix brand to be used in females only from 10 to 25 yrs old for the same indication. Cervarix vaccinates against different strains of HPV than Gardisil and has not been proven effective in males.
Completion of Therapy
The HPV vaccine was manufactured and researched based on a three-dose schedule. There is no information available as to how effective the vaccine will be if the three doses are not completed, so it is important that individuals get all three doses of the vaccine to maximize protection. The series should be completed even if there has been a lapse or gap in the usual dosing regimen, according to the Immunization Action Coalition.
Safety
The FDA maintains that the HPV vaccines on the market today are safe and effective; their findings indicate that the vaccine has not been directly linked to serious, life threatening side effects. Pain at the injection site, fainting, headache, nausea and fever are common side effects of many vaccines. Because all of the research indicates that this vaccine is most effective when the usual three dose regimen is followed, it is unknown how much the risk of HPV infection is increased if only one or two doses are given.
Summary
The FDA has so far found that HPV vaccines are safe and effective and they will potentially benefit the population by providing immunity against the types of HPV in the vaccine that cause cervical, vaginal cancer, genital warts, and other HPV-related diseases. The best way to get the benefits of this protection is to complete the series of injections as advised by the manufacturer.
