HPV vaccination recommended for boys

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved recommendations for routine vaccination of males ages 11 and 12 against the Human papillomavirus (HPV.)

The HPV vaccine provide males with protection against certain HPV-related conditions and may also provide indirect protection of women by reducing transmission of HPV. Our own Dr. Claire was recently interviewed by New England Cable News to discuss the CDC’s new recommendation.

For more information on HPV and its vaccination, here’s a Q and A with Lydia Shrier, MD, MPH, of Children’s Hospital Boston’s Division of Adolescent Medicine.

What is HPV?

HPV stands for Human papillomavirus. There are more than 100 types of HPV, of which more than 30 are transmitted sexually—those are the ones most people are referencing when talking about HPV—and they can be separated into two types: low risk and high risk. Both can result in some form of genital disease, with the low risk-types typically leading to genital warts and minor abnormalities in the cells of the cervix. The high-risk types can lead to several forms of genital cancer, including cervical cancer.

How effective is the HPV vaccination and how does it work?

The HPV vaccine is highly effective in protecting against the acquisition of certain types of HPV, namely the ones that are most likely to cause genital warts and cervical, vaginal or vulvar cancer. It’s given in a series of three shots over a six month time period. (Read an article Dr. Shrier wrote about the HPV vaccine.) It’s made of virus-like particles that look to the body like HPV, which encourages the body to make antibodies against it. This is helpful for if and when a person is exposed to HPV, because their body will already have antibodies needed to fight and kill the virus. When you think about it, having a preventive vaccine for these types of cancers is pretty remarkable. The way we prevent most cancers is by not smoking or monitoring our behavior in some way. But with the HPV vaccine we can actually help prevent people from developing a cancer they may have otherwise been susceptible to.

Are there safety concerns about the vaccine?

Lyida Shrier, MD, MPH

As of June 2011, approximately 35 million doses of the HPV vaccine Gardasil had been given in the United States. There have been relatively few reports of potentially adverse events following administration of the vaccine, and the vast majority of these few reports have been of a non-serious nature (e.g., fainting, pain, headache, nausea, etc.). Of the serious events that followed receipt of the vaccine, there has been no evidence that they were related to HPV vaccination. (Read a recent Q&A about the HPV vaccine.) Most parents and patients I’ve seen have not expressed concern about the HPV vaccine being potentially dangerous. Most understand that many, many individuals have received the vaccine without problems. Further, most people understand that even if a problem arises after the vaccine is given, that doesn’t mean that the vaccine caused the problem.

For more on the safety of Gardasil visit the   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

The recommended age for the HPV vaccine is 11 to 12 years. Considering that the HPV vaccine is intended to prevent acquisition of sexually transmitted viruses, why start so young?In order for the vaccine to be most effective, the person being immunized can’t have come in contact with any of the viruses the vaccine protects against. By giving it to younger girls it’s hoped that most of them will not yet have been exposed to the types of HPV against which the vaccine provides protection, thereby strengthening the vaccine’s effectiveness.

What are the safety concerns of giving your child the HPV vaccine?

Overall, the HPV vaccine is very safe. The most common side effects are pain, swelling and redness at the injection site, and, rarely, people have had fever, nausea or vomiting afterwards. Some girls feel dizzy after receiving the vaccine, so we ask everyone to sit for 15 minutes after receiving the shot.

If parents are interested in having their child receive a HPV vaccine, who should they talk to? Will they have to pay for it?

Talk to your primary care provider about getting the HPV vaccine for your daughter. All practices should have the vaccine available. The HPV vaccine is covered by insurance companies and the Vaccines for Children program.