How is the HPV vaccine made?
The HPV vaccine is made using a protein that resides on the surface of the virus. There are many different types of papillomaviruses (about 100). Some types of papillomaviruses cause warts on the skin, some types cause warts in the anal and genital areas, and some types cause cervical cancer. Many different HPV types cause cervical cancer. Two types, 16 and 18, are the most common, accounting for about 70 percent of all cases of cervical cancer. Similarly, many types of HPV cause anal and genital warts; but only two types (6 and 11) account for about 90 percent of cases. The HPV vaccine that was licensed in June 2006 contains types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Another HPV vaccine, likely to be licensed soon, contains types 16 and 18 only. Does the HPV vaccine work? Yes. The HPV vaccine was studied in about 11,000 girls and young adults between 9 and 26 years of age. Studies determined that the vaccine was 91 percent effective at preventing infections, 100 percent effective at preventing persisten
