Top Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Human papillomavirus, HPV, is a common sexually transmitted virus. Some individuals with HPV do not have symptoms while others develop genital warts or cervical cancer. There are approximately 40 different types of genital HPV. The HPV vaccine prevents the more common types of the virus that cause genital warts and cervical cancer. The minimum age for the initial dose is nine years old. The CDC recommends the series of 3 doses be administered between the ages of 11 and 12 years for the prevention of cervical precancers, cancers and genital warts in females. The same HPV4 vaccine may be administered to males aged 9 to18 years to reduce their risk for genital warts. The second dose of the vaccine is administered one to two months following the initial dose. The third and last dose in the series is given six months following the first dose.