Is the HPV vaccine only needed for those who have not yet started sexual activity or is that not true? What are the vaccines for
How many HPV vaccines are there and how do they work?
According to WHO, there are three types of preventive vaccines, the first - Cervarix - protects against two highly oncogenic types of HPV 18 and 16.
The second, Gardasil, protects against four typesHPV: 18, 16, 11 and 6, the last two can cause genital warts - small skin-colored growths that appear on the genitals, near the anus or sometimes in the mouth.
The third - Gardasil-9, protects against nine types of HPV: 58, 52, 45, 33, 31, 18, 16, 11, 6. It is noted that all three vaccines become ineffective if a person has already become infected with the virus.
Who is the HPV vaccine for?
The WHO said that as a preventive measureit is recommended to give the vaccine to girls 9-14 years old before the onset of sexual activity. Vaccination of the secondary target population: girls 15+ and boys are recommended if possible, cost-effective and will not divert resources away from vaccination of the primary target population.
Cervarix is a vaccine that consists of a mixturevirus-like particles of recombinant surface proteins of HPV types 16 and 18, the effect of which is enhanced by the AS04 adjuvant system. The latter is used to enhance the immune response when administered concurrently with an immunogen. Indications for use - prevention of cervical cancer in women 10–25 years old. The primary course of vaccination consists of three doses.
Gardasil - tetravalent recombinantvaccine, it consists of particles similar to viruses, unable to multiply in the human body. It is recommended to be vaccinated for girls and women aged 9–26 years, as well as for boys 9–17 years old. For a full course, you need to enter three doses of the vaccine. The safety of Gardasil has been confirmed in a large scientific study. According to its results, it turned out that all side effects remain at a slightly low level and do not threaten the lives of patients.
Gardasil 9 is a nine-valent recombinanta vaccine that is indicated for active immunization in patients from nine to 27 years old. It acts like Gardasil, but has an extended range of HPV protection. At the time of publication of the article, "Gardasil 9" was not registered on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Is HPV really so dangerous that it is worth getting vaccinated against?
Scientists have proven that oncogenic types of HPV lead to cervical cancer. There are more than 100 types of HPV, of which approximately 14 can cause cancer.
HPV is almost impossible to detect on your own, since the virus does not affect the functioning of the body in any way and goes away without additional therapy after a few months.
In the previous paragraph we mentioned that the mostdangerous oncogenic types of HPV are 18 and 16 - they are responsible for 70% of cases of cervical cancer - this type of oncology is the second most common in the world among women. The first is breast cancer. Cervical cancer also shortens life the most, by an average of 24 years. More than 300 thousand people in the world die from it every year.
There are 2,869 million women in the world aged from15 years and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer. It is currently estimated that 569,000 women develop cervical cancer each year and 311,000 die from the disease.
In Russia, cervical cancer is found annually in 15 thousand people. Our country is in 13th place in terms of the incidence of cervical cancer among European countries.
How effective are vaccines?
The highest effectiveness in the fight against HPV was found in those who have not yet encountered the virus - 97–100%.
If we consider those who have already begun sexual activity and have encountered HPV, then the effectiveness of vaccination in preventing HPV diseases is significantly lower - 44/61%. The percentage depends on the vaccine.
I heard that the vaccine can lead to infertility, is it true?
No, but the myth about infertility still exists. It comes after the publication of a study showing a reduced likelihood of getting pregnant in American girls aged 25 to 29 years.
About six months later, the article was withdrawn because serious errors were found in it.
What is the situation with the HPV vaccine and vaccination in Russia?
Cervarix and Gardasil are registered inRussia, but Gardasil 9 is not. But the HPV vaccine is not on the National Vaccination Schedule (NCPP). This means that the rate of vaccination will be several times lower, and oncogenic markers will also be widespread.
In the spring of 2020, it became known that Russianpharmaceutical companies Nanolek and NPK Kombiotech began joint development of a domestic HPV vaccine. It is expected to be a quadrivalent vaccine against the four types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.
In July of this year, Russia announced the start of vaccine testing.
All three HPV vaccines have passed the required stagestesting and verification, information about their safety has been published in international scientific journals, for example, the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine.
In Russia, vaccination against human papillomavirus is notis included in the National Vaccination Calendar, but for children it may be available according to regional calendars, as well as territorial and regional programs. It will be free. But for adults the vaccine is paid.
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