Public Health News

A safe effective vaccine that prevents cervical cancer is now available. Girls from the ages of 9-18 years old can get the vaccine from many local health care providers and at Public Health Centers. The vaccine is free, and an office and/or administrative fee may apply.

HPV vaccine is an inactivated (not live) vaccine that can prevent most genital warts and most cases of cervical cancer. Most HPV infections don’t cause any symptoms, and go away on their own. But HPV is important mainly because it can cause cervical cancer in women. Every year in the U.S. about 10,000 women get cervical cancer and 3,700 die from it. It is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths among women around the world. In King County, an average of 57 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer each year between 1998 and 2002 and an average of 15 King County women died from cervical cancer each year between 1999 and 2003.

Gardasil, the new HPV vaccine from Merck has been available through some providers since it was licensed in June 2006. It is recommended for females age 9 through 26 years. As of May 1, 2007 the vaccine can be ordered by health care providers through the WA State Vaccines For Children (VFC) program for females ages 9 years to the 19th birthday. Privately-purchased vaccine for women ages 19 to 26 years is available through many clinics and health care providers in the community--check with your health care provider.

Three doses of the HPV vaccine, given over six months time, should be routinely given to girls when they are 11 or 12 years old. However, girls and women up to age 26 will also benefit from getting the vaccine. The vaccine should be administered before onset of sexual activity (i.e., before women are exposed to the viruses), but females who are sexually active should still be vaccinated.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine vaccination of young adolescents with MCV4 at the pre-adolescent visit (11-12 year old). Introducing a recommendation for MCV4 vaccination in young adolescents (11-12 years old) may strengthen the role of the pre-adolescent visit and have a positive effect on vaccine coverage in adolescence. ACIP recommends that young adolescents see a healthcare provider at age 11-12 for a routine preventive visit, at which time appropriate immunizations and other preventive services should be provided. For those who have not previously received MCV4, we recommend vaccination before high school entry (~15 years old) as the most effective strategy towards reducing meningococcal disease incidence in adolescence and young adulthood. Within 3 years, the goal is routine vaccination with MCV4 of all adolescents beginning at 11 years of age. ACIP recognizes that vaccine supply may be an issue in the first few years after licensure of MCV4. Other adolescents who wish to decrease their risk of meningococcal disease may elect to receive vaccine.

College freshman who live in dormitories are at higher risk for meningococcal disease compared to other people of the same age. Because of the feasibility constraints in targeting freshmen in dormitories, colleges may elect to target their vaccination campaigns to all matriculating freshmen. The risk for meningococcal disease among non-freshmen college students is similar to that for the general population of similar age (18-24 years). However, the vaccines are safe and immunogenic and therefore can be provided to non-freshmen college students who want to reduce their risk for meningococcal disease.

Meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria that infect the bloodstream and the linings of the brain and spinal cord, causing serious illness. Every year in the United States, 1,400 to 2,800 people get meningococcal disease. Ten to 14 percent of people with meningococcal disease die, and 11-19 percent of survivors have permanent disabilities (such as mental retardation, hearing loss, and loss of limbs). The disease often begins with symptoms that can be mistaken for common illnesses, such as the flu. Meningococcal disease is particularly dangerous because it progresses rapidly and can kill within hours.

“Disease caused by meningococcal bacteria kills about 300 people each year in the United States. We are encouraged that today’s ACIP recommendation will help to prevent this potentially deadly disease among adolescents” said Dr. Stephen Cochi, Acting Director of the National Immunization Program at CDC.

The vaccine is highly effective. However, it does not protect people against meningococcal disease caused by “type B” bacteria. This type of bacteria causes one-third of meningococcal cases. More than half of the cases among infants aged <1 year are caused by “type B,” for which no vaccine is available in the United States. The new meningococcal vaccine was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 14, 2005 for use in people 11-55 years of age. It is manufactured by sanofi pasteur and is marketed as Menactra™.

Public Health

Hot Topics