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Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Blog

Blog (39)

Study: More Pre-Teens Get Vaccines When Middle Schools Require Them

Posted 7 May 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, May 7 – Pre-teens living in states that require vaccinations for incoming middle school students are more likely to be immunized than those in states without such requirements, a new study finds. Current vaccine guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that boys and girls aged 11 to 12 receive three immunizations or boosters: tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (TdaP); meningococcal conjugate; and three doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. In 2008-2009, 32 states required TdaP and three required meningococcal conjugate. One state, Virginia, required HPV vaccination for girls during those years. About 80 percent of kids aged 13 to 17 received the recommended TdaP vaccine in states that required vaccination for middle school entry compared to 70 percent of kids in states that didn't require it. For meningococcal vaccine, those rates were ... Read more

Preteens More Likely to Report HPV Vaccine Side Effects

Posted 3 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 3 – A new study finds that preteen girls are more likely than older teens and adult women to experience side effects after receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil. However, the side effects are not serious and are similar to those associated with other vaccines. U.S. researchers surveyed about 900 girls and young women, aged 11 to 26, within two weeks after they received the Gardasil vaccine injection in the upper arm. The vaccine protects against HPV infection, which is sexually transmitted and a cause of cervical cancer. Seventy-eight percent of the patients reported pain when receiving the vaccine; 17 percent reported bruising or discoloration; 14 percent reported swelling at the injection site; 15 percent reported dizziness, and 1 percent of the girls fainted. Younger patients were more likely to have received other vaccines – such as tetanus, ... Read more

HPV Vaccine May Help Women With Cervical Conditions

Posted 27 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 27 – A new study finds that women diagnosed with pre-cancerous cervical conditions after they get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can still benefit from the shot because it cuts their risk of future HPV-related cervical disease. "This study helps to clarify the effects of the HPV vaccine and further define its use," noted one expert, Dr. Elizabeth Poynor, a gynecologic oncologist and pelvic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Poynor, who was not involved in the new research, said it "is the first to address the effect of the HPV vaccine in women who have undergone treatment for HPV-related disease." The study was published online March 27 in the BMJ. HPV remains the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and can cause health problems ranging from genital warts to cervical cancer, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease ... Read more

Too Few American Adults Getting Needed Vaccinations: CDC

Posted 2 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Feb. 2 – Each year, some 45,000 Americans die from diseases that could have been prevented by vaccines, health officials said Thursday. Despite this, the number of American adults who get needed vaccines remains low, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "There were some modest increases in coverage, but for very few vaccines," said Dr. Carolyn B. Bridges, associate director of adult immunization at the CDC and co-author of the report. "Coverage is much lower than we would like to see it." The data was published in the Feb. 3 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. According to the report, 2010 (the latest year covered by the report) saw only a small increase in the rate of uptake for just three vaccines. The rate of the tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination increased 1.6 percent, to 8.2 percent. Tdap ... Read more

Pediatricians' Group Recommends HPV Vaccine for Boys

Posted 1 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 – The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that all boys between the ages of 11 and 12 receive the three-dose vaccine for the human papillomavirus (HPV). That's the most significant change in the latest immunization schedules, released Wednesday by the pediatrics group. The HPV vaccine has been available and recommended for girls and young women since 2006, because it was believed that the vaccine would be most effective at preventing cervical cancer. Since then, other cancers thought to be caused by HPV have been on the increase, including anal cancer and some head and neck cancers. "Initially, when HPV vaccines were being evaluated, there was an assumption that they would be for preventing cervical cancer and genital warts. Subsequent to that, some things have occurred that show us that providing the vaccine to both genders would be beneficial," said Dr. ... Read more

Study Finds No Link Between HPV Vaccine and Autoimmune Disorders

Posted 26 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 – The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil does not trigger autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis, according to a two-year study that included nearly 190,000 girls and women. Gardasil is recommended in the United States for girls and young women to protect them against HPV infection, which is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States and can lead to cervical cancer. A second HPV vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix, is also approved to prevent infection with the virus. However, long-standing concerns that the HPV vaccine might trigger autoimmune reactions have led many parents to bar their children from receiving the three-dose vaccine, the study authors pointed out in a news release from Kaiser Permanente. In the study, which was funded by Gardasil's maker, Merck & Co., ... Read more

Related support groups: Gardasil, Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, Cervarix

Oral HPV Infection Strikes Men More Than Women: Study

Posted 26 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 – Almost 7 percent of American men and women are infected orally with the human papillomavirus (HPV), new research reveals, with men showing significantly higher infection rates than women. In fact, the study found that among those between the ages of 14 and 69, men seem to face a nearly threefold greater risk than women for oral HPV infection. The authors noted that the gender gap grows even wider with respect to HPV-16, a strain that is responsible for the vast majority of HPV-related cases of oral cancer. Men are five times more likely to be infected with HPV-16 than are women, the study found. The biggest risk factors for oral HPV infection include sex and tobacco use, the researchers say. "Our data link oral HPV infection to the number of sex partners and to smoking," said study author Dr. Maura Gillison, chair of cancer research in the department of viral ... Read more

Women Can Take Steps to Prevent Cervical Cancer

Posted 25 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 – Women need to get recommended Pap tests, while girls and young women should be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) to protect them from cervical cancer, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises during Cervical Health Awareness Month. Cervical cancer kills more than 4,000 women in the United States each year. Many of them could have been saved by routine Pap tests, which look for abnormal cells in the cervix that can turn into cancer. When caught early, those abnormal cells are highly treatable, according to the college. More than 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, according to the American Cancer Society. The good news is that the rate of cervical cancer in the United States has fallen more than 50 percent in the past three decades due to the widespread use of the Pap test, the ... Read more

Many Teen Girls Mistakenly Think HPV Vaccines Cut Risk for All STDs

Posted 4 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 4 – Nearly one in four girls who gets the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine mistakenly thinks that her risk of getting other sexually transmitted diseases is lowered, a new study indicates. HPV is the most commonly transmitted sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States, with nearly 30 percent of sexually active girls aged 14 to 19 infected. Some virus types can raise the risk for genital warts and cervical cancer. "I think it's important to counsel [girls] about what the vaccine protects against," said lead researcher Dr. Tanya Kowalczyk Mullins, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The findings were reported in the January issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Two HPV vaccines are now licensed in the United States. One, ... Read more

More Teens Getting Vaccines Against HPV, Other Infections: CDC

Posted 14 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Nov. 14 – Although the number of teens getting three new recommended vaccines is growing, there's still room for improvement, government researchers report. The three vaccines were added to the recommended list of vaccines in 2005 through 2007. They include the TdaP vaccine, which shields against tetanus, diptheria and whooping cough (pertussis); the meningitis vaccine (MenACWY) and the human papillomavirus (HPV) shot for girls, which prevents about 70 percent of cervical cancers and vaginal warts. Overall, the proportion of 13- to 17-year-olds who were up-to-date on these three shots rose from 10 percent in 2006 to almost 42 percent by 2009, the team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. "On the good side, vaccination coverage is increasing," said lead researcher Shannon Stokley, from the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory ... Read more

More Evidence That HPV Vaccine Shields Against Cervical Cancer

Posted 9 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 – A new study suggests that the Cervarix cervical cancer vaccine may provide "excellent" protection against a precancerous lesion that is often a forerunner to invasive cervical cancer. Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, protects against human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18, which cause 70 percent of cervical cancers. The vaccine is particularly effective when given to adolescent girls before they become sexually active. Cervarix is one of two HPV vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the other being Merck's Gardasil. The four-year study included nearly 20,000 women aged 15 to 25 in 14 countries in North America, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. The vaccine was found to be more than 93 percent effective against the CIN3 lesion, a precancerous anomaly that often appears before invasive cancer. The vaccine was 100 percent ... Read more

HPV Vaccine Might Help Prevent Anal Cancers: Study

Posted 26 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 26 – A vaccine to prevent anal cancer is safe and effective for young gay and bisexual males, according to a study funded in part by the vaccine's maker. Anal cancer is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Anal cancer is particularly common among gay and bisexual men and people infected with HIV. Merck's Gardasil vaccine is already approved and recommended as a way to protect women against the major HPV types that cause cervical cancer. The vaccine is also thought to protect against HPV strains that cause anal cancer and genital warts. This week, the U.S. government's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that boys be vaccinated against HPV. "Almost six thousand people every year in [the U.S.] are diagnosed with anal cancer, and more than 700 people die from the disease," study ... Read more

Rise in Vulvar Precancers Leads to New Guidelines

Posted 20 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Oct. 20 – The number of American women with precancerous cells of the vulva increased more than fourfold between 1973 and 2000, and the increase has led to the release Thursday of new treatment guidelines by two major medical groups. Cancer of the vulva – the outside of the genital area – is usually caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), which also causes cervical cancer. The precancerous condition – known as vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) – should be treated with surgery, laser removal or medical therapy, according to the new guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. VIN is divided into two main types. Usual-type VIN is often associated with cancer-causing strains of HPV and risk factors such as smoking and a weakened immune system. Differentiated VIN is ... Read more

HPV-Linked Oral Cancers on the Rise, Study Finds

Posted 3 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 3 – The rate of oral cancers linked to the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) rose dramatically over two decades, according to new government research. Within a decade, these types of tumors might become the leading form of HPV-linked cancers, the researchers noted. In the period between 1984 and 1989, just 16.3 percent of oral cancer samples tested positive for HPV. By 2000 to 2004, that number had jumped to 72 percent, the researchers found. "Back in 2008, we did a study and found that the incidence rates of oropharyngeal cancers have increased. Because this increase occurred in a period where cigarette smoking has decreased, we hypothesized that another risk factor – perhaps HPV – might be responsible," explained the study's lead author, Anil Chaturvedi, an investigator in the division of cancer epidemiology at the U.S. National Cancer Institute. "We ... Read more

Stress the 'Human' in HPV, One Man Suggests

Posted 23 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Sept. 23 – Fred Wyand has been in a prime spot to watch the evolution of the public health response to human papillomavirus, or HPV. Since 2003, Wyand has served as editor of HPV News, a bimonthly newsletter published by the American Social Health Association. The newsletter has been around since the 1990s. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that most people associate with genital warts, a temporary but somewhat repugnant condition. But the more dangerous potential side effects of HPV infection are not as well known, Wyand said. "It's probably just within the last 30 or 40 years that science has begun to understand the connection between high-risk HPV types and cancers of the cervix, penis and anus," he said. "That's not even talking about the genital warts that aren't cancer-causing. So there's a lot of things to talk about." An HPV vaccine has been on the market and ... Read more