There still remains confusion when it comes to patients, male or female, being able to obtain the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine. This vaccine was developed by Merck after numerous years of research and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2006 for use in the prevention of cervical cancer.
Since that time, the product insert which accompanies the vaccine has been revised upon the approval of the FDA to expand the use of the vaccine to include dysplasia (abnormal cell growth) and cancer of both the vagina and vulva. In early 2011, the FDA additionally approved the use of the vaccine for the use in the prevention of AIN (anal intraepithelial neoplasia) and anal cancer. The product insert again is revised to include this information. The vaccine was also approved for use in males in 2010.
The insert itself speaks to just who should be receiving the vaccine along with explaining the administration, dosage and time intervals between each dose. There are three doses which make up the complete series. All three should be obtained in order to receive maximum protection.
Some people are being advised by their physicians, that if they have a positive HPV test indicating they are infected with the virus, that they cannot receive the vaccine. This is contrary not only to the recommendations of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommendations but also to the information provided by the manufacturer of the vaccine – Merck.
This becomes confusing because there are over 100 different strains of HPV. Over 40 strains are known to cause dysplasia and cancer in the anogenital tract of both males and females. The current HPV test, manufactured by digene, tests for fourteen of the strains which are considered high risk for causing these dysplasias and cancers. However, the test results are reported as either positive or negative. The test results do not inform the doctor of which strain or strains of the virus the patient has.
Many doctors either incorrectly read the report or incorrectly conclude that the vaccine would be of no use for the patient. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Since the report does not list the specific strain, the patient’s positive result may be from a strain not included in the vaccine. The vaccine protects against four strains of HPV – two low risk (6 and 11) and two high risk (16 and 18). Even if the patient were to have one of the strains covered by the vaccine, they would still receive protection against the other three. This is not a therapeutic vaccine, meaning that it will not help if the patient has already contracted a particular strain of the virus. However, the patient would still be in jeopardy with respect to dysplasia or cancer caused by these other strains.
If you are being told you cannot receive the vaccine you need to ask why. You also need to be able to direct your doctor to the information provided by the vaccine’s manufacturer which clearly indicates otherwise. Everyone who can receive the vaccine should receive it, and confusion on the part of the doctor should not deprive a patient of the protection they can receive.
http://www.thehpvtest.com/~/media/TheHPVTest/Files/News/NPWHSurvey%20PressReleaseFINAL.ashx
http://www.gardasil.com/gardasil-product-information/index.html
http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/g/gardasil/gardasil_ppi.pdf
Bonnie Diraimondo is an RN and expert in HPV. She maintains her own website: thehpvsupportnetwork.org and both advocates and educates individuals regarding the virus.