The vaccines

There are currently two vaccines which protect against HPV infection. These are called Gardasil and Cervarix.

  • Gardasil produced by Sanofi Pasteur MSD, protects against four types of HPV:
    • 16 and 18 (high-risk for cervical cancer)
    • 6 and 11 (do not cause cervical cancer but cause genital warts).
  • Cervarix produced by GlaxoSmithKline, protects against HPV types 16 and 18.

Both vaccines are licensed in the UK. Gardasil can be prescribed for women between the ages of 9 and 26. Cervarix can be given to women over the age of ten. The vaccines work best if given before women come into contact with the virus. As the virus is transmitted by skin to skin contact, usually by sexual activity, this age will vary. In practical terms, the most effective and easiest way to reach everybody is for girls to be vaccinated before they are sexually active. In the UK, the HPV vaccination programme is offered to girls from the age of 12 to 18.

Vaccines are given by injection into the muscle, usually the upper arm or thigh. Three separate doses are needed. The second does is given one or two months and six months after the first dose.

HPV vaccination has been shown to prevent infection and abnormal cells changes to the cervix for at least 5 years but it is expected to last longer [1]. Ongoing studies will show how much longer you will be protected for and whether booster shots will be required.

Both Gardasil and Cervarix, will protect against the two highest risk HPV strains. But unfortunately women can be infected with more than one type of HPV. Having the vaccine will provide protection against 70% of all cervical cancers and it will also prevent most of the more serious precancerous changes (CIN 2 and 3) [2].

Both the vaccines have shown evidence for providing cross protection for other strains of HPV which may mean that it has a much higher protection level than first thought [3].

 

References

  1. Romanowski B (2009) Sustained efficacy and immunogenicity of the human papillomavirus (HPV) - 16/18 ASO4-adjuvanted vaccine: analysis of a randomised placebo-controlled trial up to 6.4 years. Lancet, 374, 1975-85.
  2. Paavonen J et al. (2009) Efficacy of human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine against cervical infection and precancer caused by oncogenic HPV types (PATRICIA): final analysis of a double-blind, randomised study in young women. Lancet 374 (9686), 301-14. And: Wheeler CM et al. (2009) The Impact of Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (HPV; Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) L1 Virus-Like Particle Vaccine on Infection and Disease Due to Oncogenic Nonvaccine HPV Types in Sexually Active Women Aged 16-26 Years. J Infect Dis,  199(7), 936-44.
  3. Szarewski A (2008). HPV vaccines: peering through the fog. Journal of Family planning and Reproductive Health Care 34(4), 207-209.

 


Last updated: 10/03/2011
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