Vaccine no guarantee against Cervical Cancer!

The excitement surrounding the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine for cervical cancer is not surprising given that "10 women die of cervical cancer every hour in South East Asia... and shockingly, 8 out of the 10 are Indian women".

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences has declared HPV types 16 and 18 as the main culprits causing havoc in India. They account for almost 70% of the cervical cancer cases in India.

So what exactly is a HPV vaccine?
The HPV vaccine is a quadrivalent prophylactic vaccine which offers protection against HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. It is prepared from a non-infective, DNA free, virus-like particle produced by recombinant technology.

What is the Target Age group?
HPV vaccine is most effective when administered to women falling under the age group of 9 - 26 yrs. This is because a woman who has crossed 26 yrs of age might already be infected with the virus before she gets vaccinated.

How efficient is the Vaccine?
The vaccine prevents HPV infection for a period of 5yrs.
But the recipient of the vaccine should not develop a false sense of freedom from cervical cancer because the vaccine does not offer protection against all types of HPVs. In fact it fails to cover over 30% of oncogenic HPVs.
Thus, regular screening for cancer should be continued.

Moreover, the following risk factors must be kept in mind:-
- Multiple sex partners
- Male partner with multiple sex partners
- Intercourse at a young age
- High parity
- Immunosuppressive states (esp. AIDS)
- Use of Oral Contraceptive Pills
- Use of Nicotine

What are the Side Effects of HPV vaccination?
In most cases there are transient side effects like:
- Erythema and tenderness at the site of injection
- Pruritis
- Nausea
- Headache
- Fever
- Dizziness
A few cases of syncope have also been reported which is why it is wise to keep the recipient under supervision for a minimum of 15 minutes.

Are there any contraindications to the administration of this vaccine?
Yes. The vaccine should not be given to patients who are
- Pregnant
- Suffering from acute illnesses
- Allergic to yeast
- Hypersensitive (to a previous dose of the vaccine)

The WHO rightly states that while the vaccine reduces the prevalence of the cancer, it does not completely eradicate it.
Therefore, spreading awareness about cervical cancer would go a longer way in reducing its incidence than vaccination.