The cervical cancer vaccine is a type of vaccine that protects against human papillomavirus (HPV) mutations in the human body. Two of the four variants have a 75% chance of causing cervical cancer in women, while the other two variants have a 50% chance of causing other reproductive diseases. Types of cervical cancer vaccines There are only two HPV vaccines available worldwide, the quadrivalent (types 6, 11, 16, and 18) HPV vaccine from Mercer and the bivalent (types 16 and 18) HPV vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline. The prices represent the subtypes of HPV viruses, with 16 and 18 being high-risk HPV viruses and 6 and 11 being low-risk viruses. Age of cervical cancer vaccination For every 1 million people infected with HPV, 100,000 will develop abnormal cervical cytology, of which 8,000 will develop high grade lesions and 1,600 will eventually develop cervical cancer. That is, the chance of developing cervical cancer in HPV-infected individuals is 0.2 percent. There is no specific medicine to remove this virus infection, but only to improve the body’s immunity and produce antibodies to clear the virus to achieve self-healing. It usually takes 10-15 years to develop cervical cancer after infection with the virus, so primary and secondary prevention are important. Primary prevention is the vaccine. The world’s first oncology vaccine, the cervical cancer vaccine, has been created and the best age for vaccination is 15 years old. Cervical Cancer Vaccination Age The United States and the World Health Organization (WHO) consider the age of protection from HPV vaccine to be women aged 9-26 years who are not sexually active, and the most appropriate age for vaccination is 11-12 years. The 2-valent vaccine is only available for women, while the 4-valent vaccine is also available for men. The HPV vaccine is not yet available on the mainland, but is available in Hong Kong. The newest vaccine, Gardasil 9, is approved for use in women aged 9-26 years and men aged 9-15 years. The vaccine is approved for cervical, vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58, and for the prevention of genital warts caused by HPV types 6 or 11. Gardasil 9 adds protection against five other HPV types (31, 33, 45, 52 and 58) that cause about 20 percent of cervical cancers. These HPV types are not covered by the previously FDA-approved HPV vaccine. Timing of cervical cancer vaccination When receiving Merck Sharp & Dohme’s quadrivalent vaccine, the vaccine should be administered in three doses over a six-month period. The vaccine should be administered as follows: Dose 1: date of your choice Dose 2: two months after the first dose Dose 3: six months after the first dose (e.g., if the first dose is given on January 1, the second and third doses should be given on March 1 and July 1, respectively.) Is the cervical cancer vaccine safe? In terms of the preparation of the vaccine, the HPV vaccine uses virus-like particles, which is a hollow imitation made according to the appearance of HPV, to induce the body to produce antibodies to resist the invasion of HPV. It’s like going to a wax museum and taking a picture with Marilyn Monroe, Monroe is very realistic and you are happy. From the clinical studies of the vaccine, and post-marketing studies, all three vaccines are safe, with the bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines being available for a longer period of time and their post-marketing results being more comprehensive. Overall the HPV vaccine is well tolerated and has mild side effects. Some observations have found an increased chance of syncope after vaccination, so observation in the clinic for 15 minutes after vaccination is recommended. This syncope is not a characteristic unique to the HPV vaccine; it has been shown to increase after other vaccinations in adolescents. Duration of protection against cervical cancer vaccine Usually 3 doses of the vaccine are given, after which no catch-up vaccination is required. There are no data on the exact duration of protection, but based on the follow-up of vaccine studies, some studies have reported maintenance of antibody levels and vaccine efficacy for up to 10 years, so it is only fair to say that catch-up vaccination is not considered necessary at this time.