What is the purpose of the HPV vaccine, and who needs to be vaccinated?
A. The goal of this vaccination is to prevent the establishment of a persistent HPV infection after a person has been exposed to the virus through sexual contact. Strong scientific evidence demonstrates that a persistent HPV infection is required for cervical cancer to begin developing. In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first HPV vaccine, called Gardasil, for use in girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26. The vaccine helps prevent infection from the two HPVs known to cause most cervical cancers and precancerous lesions in the cervix. The vaccine also prevents against the two low-risk HPVs known to cause 90% of genital warts. In 2009, FDA approved a second HPV vaccine, called Cervarix, for the prevention of cervical cancer in girls and women ages 10 to 25; it also approved the use of Gardasil in boys and men ages 9 through 26 to prevent genital warts. Q. How effective is the vaccine? A. Several large clinical trials have revealed that the vaccine is
