Vaccines against cervical cancer

This past January was Cervical Cancer Awareness Day, and the slogan of the UK Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was: No woman should die from cervical cancer. After all, cervical cancer is the only preventable cancer with a known cause. As long as you get the cervical cancer vaccine and conduct regular screening, you can effectively prevent cervical cancer, and once it is detected in the early stages, the chances of recovery are very high.

How much does the cervical cancer vaccine cost?

At the end of October last year, the bivalent cervical cancer vaccine suitable for women aged 9 to 25 was launched in Guangzhou and Foshan. The quadrivalent cervical cancer vaccine, which covers a wider age range, requires three shots and costs 2,500 yuan.

HPV vaccine is normally given three times within 6 months. The specific steps are: after the first injection, give the second injection after 3 months, and then give the third injection after another 3 months.

Cervical cancer vaccine does not provide lifelong immunity

However, there is no need to assume that the vaccine will give you lifelong immunity to cervical cancer. If you get this type of vaccine, it will produce antigens against this subtype, which can be said to be lifelong immunity. However, there are more than 100 types of HPV virus (human papillomavirus infection) analyzed, and there are more than 30 high-risk types. It does not mean that we have vaccines for so many analyses and subtypes of the virus. No matter whether it is bivalent, quadrivalent, or even nine-valent vaccine, they are only for those fixed subtypes. There are many other subtypes for which there are no vaccines.

Although vaccination is an effective way to prevent cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine can only protect against a few common types of HPV viruses. The top priority should still be on cervical cancer screening. Regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not, women should undergo regular cervical acid-fast staining examinations after the age of 21. For people aged 30 and above, it is recommended to carry out cervical acid-fast staining test for HPV testing. Only regular physical examinations can ensure early detection and early treatment.

4 types of people are not suitable for cervical cancer vaccination

Before injecting the cervical cancer vaccine, in addition to doing cervical cytology screening and HPV screening, you should also pay attention to which patients are suitable or not suitable for the vaccine. Some patients with contraindications, such as allergic constitution, immune system diseases, fever and pregnancy, are not suitable for injection.

Warm reminder: If women experience vaginal bleeding during non-menstrual periods or bleeding during sexual intercourse, abnormal female secretions, lower abdominal distension and pain, and urinary urgency, frequent urination, and blood in the urine, these are early symptoms of cervical cancer and it is recommended that you go to the hospital to rule out the possibility of cervical cancer.