Immunizations - Resources

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Current immunization guidelines recommend:

• Routine vaccination for girls ages 11 - 12 years, before they are sexually active. The vaccine should be administered in 3 doses, with the second and third doses administered 2 and 6 months after the first dose. The HPV vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines. Either Gardasil or Cervarix may be used, and one vaccine can be substituted for another in the 3-dose series.
• Girls as young as age 9 can receive the vaccine at their doctor's discretion.
• Girls and women ages 13 - 26 who have not been previously immunized or who have not completed the full vaccine series should get vaccinated to catch up on missed doses. The American Cancer Society suggests that women ages 19 - 26 discuss with their doctors the relative risks and benefits of vaccination.
• Women should not get the vaccine during pregnancy.
• Gardasil can be used in boys aged 9 - 26 years to prevent genital warts. The CDC's immunization advisory committee issued a permissive recommendation on its use in boys. Individual physicians, boys and their parents may decide whether to opt for vaccination.

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Currently there is no research to confirm the vaccine's effectiveness in women over 26, so there is no recommendation yet for this age group. Gardasil is not recommended for pregnant women.

Side Effects

Studies have shown no significant side effects from the HPV vaccine. The most common side effect was soreness at the injection site.

Review Date: 10/12/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).