Hpv vaccine how does it work

Top of Page. Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. Many people who get HPV vaccine have no side effects at all. Some people report having very mild side effects, like a sore arm from the shot.

Brief fainting spells and related symptoms such as jerking movements can happen after any medical procedure, including vaccination. Sitting or lying down when getting a shot and staying in that position for about 15 minutes after a vaccination can help prevent fainting and injuries caused by falls. On very rare occasions, severe anaphylactic allergic reactions may occur after vaccination.

People with severe allergies to any component of a vaccine should not receive that vaccine. HPV vaccine may be available at private doctor offices, community health clinics, school-based health centers, and health departments. If your doctor does not stock HPV vaccine, ask for a referral.

Locate one near you. You can also contact your state health department to learn more about where to get HPV vaccine in your community.

It also contains Aluminium, Sodium Chloride salt , water, L-histidine, Polysorbate 80 and Borax, to stimulate the immune system and keep the vaccine stable and suitable for injection. You can read more about the vaccine on this product information sheet.

The vaccine does not contain any live virus, or even killed virus or DNA from the virus, so it cannot cause cancer or other HPV-related illnesses. When the vaccine is given, the body makes antibodies in response to the protein to clear it from the body.

If a person is then exposed to the real virus, the same antibodies can prevent it from entering the cells of the body and creating an infection immunity. The HPV vaccine is a prescription medicine. Medicines have benefits and risks. After reading this website, talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of this vaccine and to check eligibility.

However, if you are still infected, you can transmit the virus to future partners who are not immune to that type of HPV. The vaccine only protects people against types of HPV to which they were not previously exposed. It does not treat an existing infection or protect against that type of HPV. A Pap test is one in which cells isolated from the cervix are examined under a microscope for precancerous changes caused by a persistent, or long-term, HPV infection. A test that specifically detects HPV is also available.

Although this test does measure the presence of HPV virus in the cervical cells, it does not provide information about whether that infection will remain long term or eventually cause cancer. Because many younger women get an HPV infection that is cleared by their immune systems, the HPV test can often be positive, causing unnecessary concern; therefore, it is not recommended for most women younger than 30 years of age.

Pap tests identify changes to cervical cells that could lead to cervical cancer; however, the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer are rarely associated with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis RRP. Therefore, you could have had an infection with one of the types that cause RRP and continue to have normal Pap tests. Also, HPV can infect cells without causing the types of precancerous changes that lead to an abnormal Pap smear.

The types of HPV that cause genital warts typically differ from those that cause cervical cancer. Since a Pap test is meant to identify cellular changes that could potentially lead to cervical cancer, it does not provide information about HPV infections with types that cause genital warts.

For this reason, your Pap test results do not mean that you did not get infected with HPV when your boyfriend had it. The good news is that for many people, the infection will clear without any symptoms, so you may never experience genital warts like your boyfriend did. If you have an abnormal Pap test, an HPV test may be suggested to determine if human papillomavirus DNA is present in the cells of the cervix. If the results of the HPV test are positive, your doctor will determine how frequently you should be tested.

In addition to HPV and Pap tests, a colposcopy or biopsy may be suggested. A colposcopy visualizes the cells of the cervix and a biopsy takes a sample of cervical cells. Women are recommended to get their first Pap test at age 21, and then once every three years until they turn Women who are 30 to 65 years old should have both Pap and HPV tests performed every five years, or a Pap test alone every three years.

Women who have an irregular Pap test or who are at risk due to other factors, such infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV or previous diagnosis of cervical cancer, may be required to get tested more frequently. Positive results mean that your cervix has the types of HPV commonly linked to cervical cancer; however, a positive result does not mean you have cervical cancer.

Based on the results, your doctor will determine how frequently you should be tested and whether other tests should be performed. Currently, HPV tests are recommended for all women 30 years and older and any woman 21 to 29 years old who has had an irregular Pap test. Sexually transmitted disease STD testing is not the same for every person as it depends upon individual risk factors.

For HPV, there is no test for males. The Mayo Clinic has a good discussion regarding how to determine what STD tests you may need and what is available. The HPV vaccine does not contain all types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer; therefore, it is important to continue getting Pap tests. You should still get the HPV vaccine even if you have had an abnormal Pap test because even if you have been infected with HPV, it is not likely that you have been infected with all of the types that the vaccine protects against.

So, you can still benefit from protection afforded by the HPV vaccine. The immune system takes one to two weeks to generate immunity to vaccines or infections.

In the case of HPV vaccine, the first dose and the second one if the person is on the three-dose series generates a primary immune response, so people will have some immunity, but protection can vary from one person to another. The last dose given at least six months after the first dose is important because it enhances the memory immune response.

A person will have the greatest protection beginning about one to two weeks after receiving their last dose of the vaccine. The HPV vaccine is recommended for adolescents between 9 and 12 years of age, and all teenagers and adults between 13 and 26 years of age who did not get the vaccine when they were younger. Individuals between 27 and 45 years of age can also discuss vaccination with their healthcare provider and receive the vaccine if they decide it can protect them from HPV infection.

Learn more about why adolescents are recommended to get this vaccine by watching this short video. Learn more about the recommendations related to those older than 26 years of age by watching this short video.

People who have received one dose of the HPV vaccine may have some protection, but the additional dose or doses depending upon age offer additional protection. Further, if you or your partner were already infected with a type of HPV, the vaccine will not prevent transmission of that HPV type. You should talk with your healthcare provider to see if they know whether you were vaccinated and if so, what type of HPV vaccine you received and how many doses were given.

However, if that is not an option and you are uncertain, you can still get the vaccine. Extra doses are not likely to have negative effects. No, people who have been vaccinated against HPV do not need to be revaccinated after giving birth. Typically, people with HPV have not been infected with all of the types contained in the vaccine, so the vaccine could protect them from types to which they have not been exposed previously.

However, the vaccine will not help treat or protect against types of HPV to which the person has already been exposed. For those 15 years of age and younger, the HPV vaccine is now given in two doses.

So, depending on your age, you may not need a third dose:. However, because the vaccine protects against additional types of the virus, individuals may still reasonably get the vaccine. In this case, the person should speak with their healthcare provider regarding the relative benefits associated with this choice. You would just get the last dose with the current vaccine option.

Cervarix and Gardasil-4 are no longer available in the United States. If you are younger than 15 years old and your first two doses were separated by at least six months, you do not need any additional doses.

You can start by checking with your primary healthcare provider. If you cannot get the vaccine from their office, you can also check with your gynecologist, the local health department or a local pharmacy. The manufacturer, Merck, also has an adult vaccine locator on their website that might be of help. A few studies have looked at this and none have found that receiving the HPV vaccine causes girls to become promiscuous or engage in sexual activity at an earlier age. The study found no differences between the two groups in regard to the incidence of pregnancies, tests for or diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases STDs , and contraceptive counseling.

The HPV vaccine was introduced in , and according to an article published in the July issue of Pediatrics , use of the HPV vaccine resulted not only in lower rates of infection among those who were vaccinated, but also, to some degree, in those who have not been vaccinated.

This phenomenon is commonly known as herd immunity. You should still consider getting the vaccine because while herd immunity might lessen your chance of coming into contact with the virus, the vaccine will significantly decrease your chance of infection if you do come into contact with it. Unfortunately, despite the decreases in transmission resulting from HPV vaccination, millions of people are still infected with HPV and many do not know they are infected. The reason to get the HPV vaccine even if you are already sexually active is that you are not likely to have been exposed to all of the HPV types contained in the vaccine.

Although HPV is a known cause of cervical cancer, the virus can also cause other cancers of the reproductive tract, anal cancer, penile cancer, genital warts, and on occasion, cancers of the head and neck. In fact, about 4 of every 10 cases of HPV-related cancers occur in boys or men. Because vaccinating boys will also decrease the spread of the virus, they will not only protect themselves, but also their sexual partners. The HPV vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines recommended at this age, including the vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis Tdap and the one for meningococcus.

If it is influenza vaccine season, this vaccine can be given as well. Yes, you can still get the HPV vaccine even if you have had sexual intercourse. While you may have been exposed to one or more types of HPV, it is unlikely that you would have been exposed to all of the types that the vaccine protects against, so it may still be of benefit for you. In October , the vaccine was licensed for people up to 45 years of age, so inquire with your provider. Because the HPV vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV, it is possible that a fully vaccinated person could be infected with a type of HPV that is not contained in the vaccine.

Most people will clear any type of HPV infection— but it may take months to do so. In a few people, however, HPV infection will persist and possibly become cancerous.

We have no way of knowing who will be affected over the long term. That said, the vaccine protects against the most common types that cause cancer or genital warts.

Vaccine safety is studied by many, many groups not just those who manufacture vaccines. The FDA reviews all data associated with studies completed by vaccine manufacturers as well as visiting manufacturing sites and continuing to monitor the vaccine as long as it is being made.

Additionally, the CDC has systems in place to monitor vaccine safety, including:. Their findings are available online. More than million doses of HPV vaccine have been given safely throughout the world.

More than million of these have been given in the U. What we know from all of these data is that the vaccine is safe and it is working to decrease transmission of HPV, genital warts, cervical changes that cause cancer, and juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

First, the length of time between the dose and the appearance of symptoms is not what one would expect if the vaccine was the cause. Second, of the three symptoms you mentioned, the only one that was consistently reported in HPV vaccine recipients was headache, and that was typically reported within 15 days of the first dose. HPV infections do not cause infertility, except indirectly in cases when they progress to cervical cancer, so it is not biologically plausible that the HPV vaccine would lead to infertility.

To the contrary, since the HPV vaccine decreases the number of cases of cervical cancer, it may indirectly decrease the number of women unable to have a baby. The known side effects of the HPV vaccine include pain, redness or swelling at the injection site. In addition, because teens tend to faint more easily, fainting has been associated with vaccines given to this age group.

Reports of blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, chronic fatigue syndrome, infertility or premature ovarian failure, and even death have occurred after receipt of this vaccine; however, reviews of individual cases as well as controlled studies looking at groups of people who did and did not get the vaccine have shown that none of these problems were caused by the HPV vaccine.

The HPV vaccine contains higher concentrations of salt than other vaccines, so they may hurt a bit more when they are administered. However, you can suggest one of the following to make your daughter more comfortable while getting the shot:. The HPV vaccine may cause redness, swelling and tenderness at the site of the injection.

Some people may faint when they get the vaccine, so people are advised to stay at the doctor's office for minutes after getting the vaccine. Some teens are more prone to fainting after getting the vaccine; therefore, all teens are recommended to wait at the doctor's office for 15 minutes to be sure they are okay.

It takes about two weeks after the first dose of vaccine for the immune system to generate an immune response. The additional doses make that response stronger, particularly the last one which fortifies the memory response. It is important to understand that the HPV vaccine does not protect against other STDs, such as syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes, nor does it protect against types of HPV to which one was already exposed.

For these reasons, using protection is still prudent to consider. While you may have some protection after receiving the first dose of HPV vaccine, your best level of protection will occur after you receive all recommended doses. The HPV vaccine will not protect you against types of HPV to which you may have already been exposed; however, it will protect you against types to which you were not previously exposed.

Since the vaccine protects against nine types of HPV, it is likely that you can still benefit from receiving the vaccine. For this reason, knowing your sexual activity status is not a requirement for deciding whether or not you should get the HPV vaccine. We do not know for sure whether immunity will last a lifetime; however, the data are reassuring. Second, the immune responses generated by the vaccine are stronger than those invoked after natural infection.

Finally, the hepatitis B vaccine, which is made using a technology similar to the HPV vaccine, induces a memory response that lasts at least 30 years. Yes, it is possible. Although the HPV vaccine protects against the two strains of HPV that most commonly cause genital warts, it will still only prevent about 9 of every 10 cases of genital warts. Therefore, someone could still get genital warts if they are infected with a type of HPV that causes genital warts but was not in the vaccine.

The strains of HPV included in the vaccine will prevent about 9 of 10 cases of cervical cancer. However, because a possibility of getting cervical cancer from one of the types of HPV not contained in the vaccine still exists, women should continue to get regular Pap tests.

In addition, the vaccine does not protect against other sexually transmitted diseases, so practicing safe sex is also important. HPV booster doses are not expected to be necessary; however, public health officials will continue to monitor rates of disease to watch for waning immunity.

If you already have genital warts, the HPV vaccine will not treat them. However, the vaccine may still protect you against other types of HPV to which you were not previously exposed. Consult your doctor about medicines and procedures that may be used to treat genital warts. Although the protein folds itself to look like a viral particle in a microscope, it does not contain any genetic material, so it cannot replicate and cause an infection.

The vaccine does not protect against any other STD. Free movie! The minute film tells the powerful story of five incredible women whose lives were forever changed by human papillomavirus HPV and cervical cancer.

Those stories also provide an opportunity to learn more about HPV disease and common issues faced by families. Watch all or parts of that interview here. Various professional and advocacy groups provide reliable information about HPV and the HPV vaccine; several are compiled below. Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.

You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional.