Does Gardasil protect against all HPVs?
Gardasil is expected to prevent up to 70% of cervical cancers, because they are due to HPV types against which the vaccine is directed. However, it does not protect against the types of HPV that are not included in the vaccine, which can also cause some cancers. Furthermore, women aren’t protected if they have already been infected with the HPV types(s) that are covered by the vaccine prior to vaccination. Are Pap tests still needed? Yes. Since no vaccine is 100% effective and Gardasil won’t provide protection against the HPV types not in the vaccine, or against existing HPV infections, routine Pap screening remains critically important to detect precancerous changes in the cervix to allow treatment before cervical cancer develops. How well does Gardasil work? Four multinational studies were conducted to show how well Gardasil worked in women between the ages of 16 and 26 by giving them either the vaccine or placebo. The results showed that in women who had not already been infected wi
