NEW VACCINE PREVENTS CANCER

In June of 2006, a new vaccine was licensed which is expected to prevent up to 70% of cervical cancers. GARDASIL protects against infection from four types of human papillomavirus(HPV), and is recommended for use in girls and women ages nine to twenty-six.

For many years, doctors and scientists have known that there is a strong association between infection with the human papillomavirus and the occurrence of cervical cancer. There are more than 40 types of HPV that infect the genital tract, and infection with one or more types of HPV has been identified in 99%of all cervical cancers. HPV types 16 or 18 are found in 70% of cervical cancers. Each year in the United States about 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 3900 die of the disease. In Ohio, there are about 500 newly diagnosed cases of cervical cancer each year, and 175 deaths.

The human papillomavirus is transmitted by skin to skin contact, and the types of HPV that infect the genital tract are acquired during sexual contact. Up to 75% of sexually active people will acquire an HPV infection during their lifetime, and most infections will occur in adolescents and young adults. While the risk of acquiring HPV is greater in individuals who have multiple sexual partners, twenty percent of women with only one lifetime male sexual partner will become infected with HPV.

The human papillomavirus also causes genital warts in both males and females. HPV types 6 and 11 cause 97% of genital warts, and it is estimated that 1% of sexually active people have genital warts. Genital warts are benign and do not cause cancer. Removal of genital warts is not required to prevent cancer, and most lesions eventually go away without treatment. Nevertheless, many people with genital warts seek treatment to have them removed. Treatment can be both painful and costly.

GARDASIL protects against infection with HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. It is not a live virus vaccine, but is composed of non-infectious virus-like particles that produce an immune response to HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Pre-licensure studies showed that the vaccine was 100% effective in preventing new infections with HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18, and protection lasted for at least 5 years.

The vaccine is given as a shot, and requires three doses for full protection. The first dose is given to girls and women any time between the ages of 9 and 26; the second dose is given 2 months after the first dose, and the third dose is given 6 months after the first dose. For maximum effectiveness, the vaccine should be given before a female becomes sexually active. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) recommends that all girls receive their first dose of the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12.

The HPV vaccine does not protect against HPV types not contained in the vaccine, so cervical cancer caused by other types will still occur. Therefore, it is extremely important that women continue to undergo routine cervical cancer screening (Pap test). The American Cancer Society recommends that cervical cancer screening begin within 3 years after the initiation of sexual intercourse, or at 21 years of age, whichever comes first.

The Clinton County Health Department recently received a supply of GARDASIL for use in VFC eligible girls ages 11 to 18. The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program provides vaccines for Medicaid-eligible children and children who are uninsured or whose health insurance doesn’t cover the cost of vaccines. Older women up to the age of 26 may also receive the vaccine, but prepayment is required. The cost is $160 per dose. Please call the Clinton County Health Department, Nursing Division, at 382-7221 for more information.