Understanding HPV Vaccine in One Article

Author: Hou Jiayi, Deputy Chief Technician, Shanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Reviewer: Li Ning, deputy chief physician, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital

The topic of HPV vaccine is a hot topic among women, but many people do not know much about it. Can HPV really prevent cancer? Is it suitable for me to get this vaccine? The following will answer these questions for you one by one.

1. Why should you get the HPV vaccine?

HPV is the abbreviation of human papillomavirus. Symptoms of human infection include common warts, genital warts (condyloma acuminatum), etc. At present, many types of HPV have been found, and many types are not pathogenic. Even if a person is infected, no symptoms will appear, and as the body's immunity improves, the symptoms will disappear automatically. There are more than 20 types of pathogenic HPV, which can be divided into two categories: low-risk and high-risk. Low-risk HPV mainly causes papilloma or warts on human skin and mucous membranes, most of which are benign. Persistent infection with high-risk HPV may cause cervical cancer. If a man is infected with high-risk HPV, it may cause anal cancer or penile cancer. HPV vaccination can prevent high-risk HPV infection to a certain extent, thereby significantly reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. It has been implemented as a primary prevention measure for cervical cancer in many countries and regions around the world.

Figure 1 HPV test sampling tube

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2. What are the differences between different vaccine valent rates?

HPV vaccines are divided into bivalent, quadrivalent and nonavalent vaccines according to the different types of HPV viruses they prevent. The bivalent HPV vaccine prevents high-risk HPV types 16 and 18, the quadrivalent HPV vaccine prevents high-risk HPV types 16 and 18 and low-risk HPV types 6 and 11, and the nonavalent HPV vaccine currently protects against the most HPV types, adding types 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 to the quadrivalent HPV vaccine. In China, 84.5% of cervical cancers are caused by HPV types 16 and 18. In terms of preventing cervical cancer, the bivalent HPV vaccine has already provided sufficient protection.

Figure 2 HPV vaccine

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3. Who should get the HPV vaccine?

The HPV vaccine is most effective when given to women before their first sexual intercourse, and can prevent 70% to 90% of cervical cancer. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not receive this vaccine; it is not recommended for women who are preparing for pregnancy. Currently in my country, the HPV two-, four-, and nine-valent vaccines that can be booked are for women aged 9 to 45 years old. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that women over 9 years old receive the HPV vaccine, and 9 to 26 years old is considered the best age for vaccination. Therefore, the current domestic HPV vaccine can meet the needs of women of appropriate age for HPV prevention.

In addition, men can also receive HPV vaccines. In some countries and regions, HPV vaccines are approved for men, but due to the lack of clinical data, men are not included in the vaccination population in my country for the time being.

4. If the HPV test is positive, is it still in time to get vaccinated?

The role of the vaccine is to prevent diseases, not to treat them. Therefore, after being infected with HPV, whether the test result turns negative or not, the vaccine is still effective, but the effect will be reduced. The reason is that after the vaccine is injected, it can only prevent HPV types that have not been infected, but cannot prevent HPV types that have already been infected. For example, if you get the HPV vaccine after being infected with HPV18, the vaccine is useless against HPV18, but it still has a preventive effect on other types of viruses that have not been infected, such as HPV16.

5.Where can I get the HPV vaccine?

my country has listed HPV vaccination as a basic and key work for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer. Many places across the country have started HPV vaccination for women of appropriate age. In recent years, activities have been carried out to provide free bivalent HPV vaccination for female students in primary and secondary schools, and Shenzhen has included HPV vaccination in the scope of medical insurance payment. There are three ways to vaccinate.

(1) Make an appointment through official platforms such as the local health commission or CDC.

(2) Contact the “Community Service Center” WeChat public account and phone number.

(3) Make an appointment through a third-party official account or mini-program.

Although the nine-valent vaccine protects against many types of HPV, the supply is very limited, so it is not easy to get it. If you cannot make an appointment for the nine-valent vaccine, you can first consider the two-valent or four-valent vaccine, which can protect against high-risk HPV types 16 and 18. Getting the two-valent vaccine as early as possible can also protect your health early.