Vaccines & Vaccination

HPV Vaccines

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is an inactivated (not live) vaccine which protects against four major types of HPV.

These include two types that cause about 70% of cervical cancer and two types that cause about 90% of genital warts. HPV vaccine can prevent most genital warts and most cases of cervical cancer. Protection from HPV vaccine is expected to be long-lasting. But vaccinated women still need cervical cancer screening because the vaccine does not protect against all HPV types that cause cervical cancer.

Routine HPV Vaccination                                           

• HPV vaccine is routinely recommended for girls 11 and 12 years of age
• The HPV4 vaccine (the type recommended for prevention of genital warts in girls) may also be given in three doses to boys aged 9 to 26.

It is important for girls to get HPV vaccine before their first sexual contact -- because they have not been exposed to HPV.  For these girls, the vaccine can prevent almost 100% of disease caused by the four types of HPV targeted by the vaccine. However, if a girl or woman is already infected with a type of HPV, the vaccine will not prevent disease from that type. The vaccine is also recommended for girls and women 13 through 26 years of age who did not receive it when they were younger.