All About The Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women worldwide, with about 500,000 cases a year. In developing countries it is the main cause of cancer deaths in women, and around 250,000 women die each year because of it. In the United States , cervical cancer strikes about 10,000 women a year and causes nearly 4,000 deaths. This steep rise in number of cervical cancer cases has led to governments promoting cervical cancer jabs in an attempt to prevent the spread of this cancer. In UK alone, more than a million girls are being offered the jab to protect them from the cancer-causing virus.

How Is Cervical Cancer Caused?

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that is usually passed on during sexual activity causes cervical cancer. An estimated 80 percent of British women are infected by HPV at some point in time during their lives. However, the infection doesn’t always show up and gets defeated by the body’s natural defence mechanisms. But 15 sub types of the virus, especially HPV 16 and 18 have an increased cancer-causing potential that cannot be eradicated by the body’s natural defence mechanism. There exist certain risk factors that predispose women to developing cervical cancer, they being:

1. Smoking
2. Living in a poor area
3. Having a partner who has a manual job
4. Having started sex early in teenage years
5. Having multiple sex partners
6. Multiple pregnancies

In general, any woman who has engaged in sexual activity is at a risk of developing cervical cancer. There is no definitive way of ascertaining the presence of an HPV infection as no signs or symptoms show up in patients. However, a smear test, which reveals pre-cancerous changes caused by the virus, can help detection followed by prevention of cancer.

Cervical Cancer Vaccine- Mechanism Of Action

Two vaccines that have been approved by the Federal Drug Administration are Gardasil and Cervarix. These vaccines specifically target two sun types of HPV- HPV 16 and 18- and stop cervical cancer before even the first step can begin. Gardasil also blocks HPV types 6 and 11, which are not associated with cervical cancer but are associated with genital warts and mild pap test abnormalities.

The Vaccination Drive

In general, girls aged between 11 and 13, are recommended the HPV jab. The vaccine allows a girl’s immune system to be activated before she’s likely to encounter HPV and promotes highest antibody levels. The higher the antibody levels, the greater the protection.

Vaccination is given in three doses over a six-month period, with the second dose given two months after the first dose, and the third given four months later. Centre for Disease Control recommends universal vaccination for women aged 18 to 26.

Vaccine Efficacy For Sexually Active Women

Early clinical trials have proven that the vaccine can be effective even in women who are already sexually active. However, the currently available vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, combat only two strains of the virus and therefore might not be entirely effective on women with multiple partners who could have been exposed to multiple strains of HPV.

Vaccine Side Effects

Soreness at the injection site, low-grade fever or flu-like symptoms, dizziness or fainting after the injection, especially in adolescents are common complaints. However, overall effects are very mild and require no further intervention. Serious side effects have been reported in a small number of women, including a severe allergic response (anaphylaxis); neurological conditions, such as paralysis, weakness and brain swelling; and death. However, FDA reports that these side effects appear to have occurred around the time of vaccination by chance and are not caused by the vaccination itself.

Protect Yourself From Cervical Cancer

Pap smears will remain the primary screening tool and will not be replaced by the vaccines. For women who don’t meet the inclusion criteria for vaccination need to take precautions while indulging in sexual intercourse to prevent infection from HPV. Cervical cancer often does not show any symptoms. Paying attention to signs such as vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between periods or after menopause; foul-smelling watery or bloody vaginal discharge; pelvic pain; or pain during intercourse and reducing exposure to risk factors can go a long way in preventing the onset of this dreaded cancer.

Article by Snigdha Taduri for Biomed-ME