Each child is born with a full immune system composed of cells, glands, organs, and fluid that are located throughout the body to fight invading bacteria and viruses. The immune system recognizes germs that enter the body as “foreign” invaders, or antigens, and produces protein substances called antibodies to fight them. A normal, healthy immune system has the ability to produce millions of these antibodies to defend against thousands of attacks every day, doing it so naturally that people are not even aware they are being attacked. Many antibodies disappear once they have destroyed the invading antigens, but the cells involved in antibody production remain and become “memory cells.” Memory cells remember the original antigen and then defend against it when the antigen attempts to re-infect a person, even after many decades. This protection is called immunity.
Vaccines contain the same antigens or parts of antigens that cause diseases, but the antigens in vaccines are either killed or greatly weakened. When they are injected into fatty tissue or muscle, vaccine antigens are not strong enough to produce the symptoms and signs of the disease but are strong enough for the immune system to produce antibodies against them. The memory cells that remain prevent re-infection when they encounter that disease in the future. Thus, though vaccination, our children develop immunity without suffering from the actual diseases that vaccines prevent.
In June 2006, a federal advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a new vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV vaccine is recommended for all girls between 11 and 12 years of age and is designed to prevent most cases of cervical cancer. Genital HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and around the world. More than half of sexually active people will be infected with genital HPV at some time in their lives. Twenty million American are currently infected with genital HPV and another 6 million become infected every year. Half of those newly infected with genital HPV are between 15 and 24 years of age.
Anyone who has ever had genital contact with another person can have genital HPV. Both men and women can get it – and pass it on – without even realizing it. Since the virus can be “silent” for a long time, a person can have genital HPV even if years have passed since he or she had sex.
What makes a person more likely to get genital HPV? If you have sex at an early age, multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has had multiple partners, you are at high risk. Although condoms are recommended as a way of decreasing sexually transmitted infections; condoms do not offer complete protection as areas not covered by the condom can be exposed to the virus.
There are many types of genital HPV and not all of them cause health problems. Some types of genital HPV may cause problems like genital warts or cervical cancer. Gardasil, the approved HPV vaccine, is between 95 – 100 percent effective against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18.
The good news is cervical cancer is highly preventable with regular Pap tests and follow-up. The Gardasil vaccine protects against most cervical cancers. There are two ways to prevent cervical cancer: (1) females ages 9 to 26 years old should obtain the HPV vaccine, AND (2) women should get regular Pap tests. The HPV vaccine is recommended for all girls between 11 and 12 years of age. The vaccine can be given to girls as young as 9 years of age. It is also recommended for all teenage and adult women between 13 and 26 years of age if they did not get the vaccine when they were younger.
So if you have a daughter between the age of 9 and 26 years, and believe she will ever become sexually active, discuss the Gardasil vaccine with her and your health care provider. Gardasil, administered as three injections, protects against four HPV types, which together cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts.
If you have a son, stay tuned. Even though boys don’t get cervical cancer, the disease is transmitted through sexual contact. The important thing to know is that boys and men can have genital HPV with no symptoms and pass it on to their partners. Studies are being conducted to find out if the vaccine works to prevent HPV infection and disease in males. When more information is available, this vaccine may be licensed and recommended for boys and men as well.
The Women’s Health Task Force meets the first Thursday of each month, in the second floor auditorium of the Multi Service Center, 650 Leonard Street in Clearfield, beginning at noon. The next meeting will be held January 3, 2008 and all interested persons are invited to attend.
(Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)