Why Does The Hpv Vaccine Hurt So Much

How To Deal With Hpv Vaccine Pain

The HPV vaccine is a great way to take charge of your sexual health. This vaccine helps to prevent different forms of the HPV virus, which can sometimes lead to cervical cancer. Its a quick and easy way to stay healthy. However, the vaccination sometimes comes with a bit of pain at the injection site. Luckily though, there are ways to handle this. Read on to learn how you can manage- and even prevent- HPV vaccine pain.

Cervical Cancer Shots Are Gaining Reputation As Painful

Gardasil shots apparently sting more than other injections.

As Austin Powers would say “Ouch, baby. Very ouch.”

Health officials have touted the Gardasil vaccine as animportant new protection against a cancer-causing sexuallytransmitted virus. In recent months, they’ve also noted reports ofpain and fainting from the shot.

During its first year of use, reports of girls fainting fromvaccinations climbed, but it’s not clear whether the pain of thecervical cancer vaccine was the reason for the reaction.

“This vaccine stings a lot,” said Patsy Stinchfield, aninfectious disease expert at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics ofMinnesota, speaking at a recent meeting of vaccination experts inAtlanta.

It sure does, said 18-year-old Lauren Fant. She said other shotstend to hurt only at the moment of the needle stick, and not afterthe vaccine plunges in.

“It burns,” said the college freshman from Marrietta, Ga.

The pain is short-lived, girls say many react with little morethan a grimace. But some teens say it’s uncomfortable driving withor sleeping on the injected arm for up to a day after getting theshot.

Officials at Merck & Co., which makes the vaccine, acknowledgethe sting. They attribute it partly to the virus-like particles inthe shot. Pre-marketing studies showed more reports of pain fromGardasil than from dummy shots, and patients reported more painwhen given shots with more of the particles.

Fact : The Hpv Vaccine Does Not Contain Harmful Ingredients

The ingredients in the HPV vaccine, like all vaccines, help make sure that it is effective and safe. These ingredients occur naturally in the environment, the human body, and foods. For example, the HPV vaccine contains aluminum like the hepatitis B and Tdap vaccines. Aluminum boosts the bodys immune response to the vaccine. People are exposed to aluminum every day through food, cooking utensils, water, and even breast milk. Aluminum-containing vaccines have been used for decades and have been given safely to more than 3 billion people.

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Are There Any Hpv Vaccine Side Effects

The HPV vaccine is very safe for both males and females, and no different from other common vaccines. The most common side effect is soreness at the injection site. Millions of doses of the HPV vaccine have now been given all over the world. Extensive research with millions of participants shows that Gardasil/HPV vaccine does not increase the risk for any serious condition and is very safe for all ages, male or female. As with all medicines and vaccines, global ongoing surveillance continues to monitor safety.

As with any medication, vaccines carry an extremely rare risk of an anaphylactic reaction. The rate with Gardasil is around 3 per one million doses. Vaccinators are trained to manage these events.

HPV vaccine reduces HPV-related disease. Some myths have suggested that the vaccine made existing infections worse. This is not true. Studies show no worsening of pre-existing diseases.

Cons Of Hpv Vaccine Administration

The benefits of vaccine administration for HPV prevention have been summarized in the preceding section, but what are the risks and downsides to widespread adoption of the vaccination program? The CDC published a summary document of adverse events reported in JAMA for vaccine administration from time of approval in June 2006 to December 2008. The study also included patterns in adverse events reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and was the first nationwide published HPV post licensure study. . Overall, the vaccine continues to be safe and effective and concluded that benefits continue to outweigh its risks. The main findings are summarized below as compiled from the reports with updated data to the July 2014 report .

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What Are The Side Effects Of Hpv Vaccine

Like all medicines, the HPV vaccine can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Monitoring For Possible Side Effects

Like all vaccines, even old vaccines approved many years ago, the HPV vaccines are continuously monitored for side effects. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration review all serious side effects reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System to watch for potential safety concerns that may need further study.

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Why Is The Hpv Vaccine Important

Genital HPV is a common virus that is passed from one person to another through direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. Most sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives, though most will never even know it. HPV infection is most common in people in their late teens and early 20s. There are about 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital areas of men and women. Most HPV types cause no symptoms and go away on their own. But some types can cause cervical cancer in women and other less common cancers like cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, and vulva and oropharynx. Other types of HPV can cause warts in the genital areas of men and women, called genital warts. Genital warts are not life-threatening. But they can cause emotional stress and their treatment can be very uncomfortable. Every year, about 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,000 women die from this disease in the U.S. About 1% of sexually active adults in the U.S. have visible genital warts at any point in time.

Gardasil 9 Generic Or Biosimilar

Gardasil 9 is a biologic drug thats available only as a brand-name vaccine. Its not currently available in biosimilar form.

Gardasil 9 is considered a biologic because its made of proteins that are similar to the human papillomavirus .

Drugs made from chemicals can have generic forms, which are exact copies of the active drug in the brand-name drug. Biologics arent made from chemicals and cant be copied exactly. So, instead of generics, biologics have biosimilars.

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How Cdc Monitors Vaccine Safety

CDC and FDA monitor the safety of vaccines after they are approved or authorized. If a problem is found with a vaccine, CDC and FDA will inform health officials, health care providers, and the public.

CDC uses 3 systems to monitor vaccine safety:

• The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System : an early warning system, co-managed by CDC and FDA, to monitor for potential vaccine safety problems. Anyone can report possible vaccine side effects to VAERS.
• The Vaccine Safety Datalink : a collaboration between CDC and 9 health care organizations that conducts vaccine safety monitoring and research.
• The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Project: a partnership between CDC and several medical research centers that provides expert consultation and conducts clinical research on vaccine-associated health risks.

Side Effects Of The Hpv Vaccine

The side effects of the vaccination are quite mild usually just soreness, swelling and redness in the arm, which soon wears off.

Other less common side effects may include headache, nausea, dizziness and/or mild fever. These can be treated with paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Rarely, some people have a reaction soon after the injection, like a rash. The nurse will know how to treat this. It is not a reason not to have more injections for HPV or other diseases.

Severe allergic reactions are rare and nurses are trained to deal with them. People recover completely with treatment, usually within a few hours.

The vaccine meets the rigorous safety standards required for it to be used in the UK and other European countries.

Millions of doses of vaccine have already been given in the UK and around the world. As with all vaccines, reports of side effects are closely monitored and reviewed.

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Myth : You Don’t Need A Test If You Haven’t Had Sex For A While

Living the solitary life doesn’t mean you can avoid testing. “Being sexually inactive or going through a ‘dry spell‘doesnât mean you can skip your recommended HPV and cervical cancer screenings,” Dr. Rizk says. “While having more partners does correlate with a higher risk of contracting HPV, itâs also possible to contract HPV after a single sexual encounter. And even if you havenât had sex in a long time, you can actuallyexperience HPV symptoms or complications weeks, months, or years after you contract the virus.” Years of celibacy don’t cancel out the risks of HPV, so you still need those tests.

The one time you can stop having Pap smears, according to OB-GYN Dr. Sherry Ross M.D., is if you’re over 65 and have no history of pre-cancerous cervical cells. At that point, she says, you can remove the reminder from your calendar. Until then, your cervix needs a hero, and it’s gotta be you.

Studies cited:

Kaufman, H.M., Alagia, D.P., Chen, Z., et al. Contributions of Liquid-Based Cytology and Human Papillomavirus Testing in Cotesting for Detection of Cervical Cancer and Precancer in the United States, American Journal of Clinical Pathology, , aqaa074,

Reiter, P. L., & McRee, A. L. . HPV infection among a population-based sample of sexual minority women from USA. Sexually transmitted infections, 93, 25â31. https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2016-052536

Experts:

Where Do Children Go To Get The Hpv Vaccine

A pediatrician can give your child the HPV vaccine during a regular visit, such as a well-child appointment. This can help make sure they get their second shot on schedule.

If your child doesnât have a regular pediatrician, you can get them vaccinated at many clinics, health centers, and pharmacies.

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Recovering From A Plantar Wart

Most treatments for plantar warts take at least several weeks. The most important thing to remember when treating a wart is consistency.

Plantar warts can be difficult to eliminate and they have a tendency to return, so you want to be sure to follow your treatment plan carefully.

Cryotherapy usually requires two to three trips to the doctor for liquid nitrogen therapy. Laser therapy might work in one to three treatments.

You may also want to consider the cost of plantar wart treatments. At-home salicylic acid costs around $5, while laser therapy can run up to hundreds of dollars.

If youve had your wart cut off, youll want to stay off your foot for about a day. Keep the area covered with a bandage, and avoid putting pressure on the wart site.

Dosage For Preventing Cervical Vulvar Vaginal Anal And Head And Neck Cancers Caused By Hpv

Gardasil 9 is recommended to prevent certain cancers caused by HPV such as cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, and head and neck cancers. The recommended dosage for adults ages 18 to 45 years old is a 0.5-mL injection into the muscle, usually in your upper arm.

Its recommended that you receive three doses of Gardasil 9. After you receive one dose, you get a second dose 2 months later and a final dose 6 months after the first dose.

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Gardasil 9 And Pregnancy

Its not known if Gardasil 9 is safe to get during pregnancy. In clinical trials, pregnant females* were told to wait and get their vaccine after pregnancy.

If youre pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor about the best time to receive the Gardasil 9 vaccine.

People who get the Gardasil 9 vaccine while pregnant can enroll in the Merck pregnancy registry by calling 800-986-8999. Pregnancy registries are important because they provide information that helps determine the safety of drugs and vaccines during pregnancy.

* Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms male and female in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.

Does Health Insurance Pay For The Hpv Vaccines

Insurance plans will probably cover the HPV vaccine cost if it is given according to national guidelines. But check with your insurance plan to be sure.

The vaccines are included in the federal Vaccines for Children program. This program covers vaccine costs for children and teens who dont have insurance. The VFC program provides free vaccines to children and teens younger than 19 years of age, who are either Medicaid-eligible, American Indian or Alaska Native, or uninsured.

The VFC program also allows children and teens to get VFC vaccines through federally qualified health centers or rural health centers. For more on the VFC program or to find the VFC contact where you live, visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/contacts-state.html, or call 1-800-232-4636.

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Who Should Not Get An Hpv Vaccine Or Who Should Wait

Pregnant women should not get any HPV vaccine at this time, even though they appear to be safe for both mother and the unborn baby. If a woman who is pregnant does get an HPV vaccine, its not a reason to consider ending the pregnancy. Women who started a vaccine series before they learned they were pregnant should complete the series after the pregnancy.

Make sure the health care provider knows about any severe allergies. The following should not get an HPV vaccine:

• Those with a severe allergy to yeast should not receive Gardasil or Gardasil 9.
• Anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to anything else contained in the vaccines
• Anyone who has had a serious reaction to an earlier dose of HPV vaccine

Can I Get Other Vaccines At The Same Time I Get Gardasil 9

Yes, you can get other vaccines at the same time as your Gardasil 9 vaccine. However, you may have a higher risk of swelling at the injection site if you get multiple vaccines at once.

In clinical trials, side effects were similar in people who got the Gardasil 9 vaccine only, and in those who received Gardasil 9 along with Menactra and Adacel .

However, swelling at the injection site was more common in people getting the three vaccines together. Swelling occurred in 14.4% of people who received Menactra, Adacel, and Gardasil 9. This is compared to 9.4% of people who only received Gardasil 9.

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Myth : Cervical Cancer Is Common

If you have HPV, developing cervical cancer is far from a certainty. “Cervical cancer is a deadly cancer and the overall U.S. survival rate is only 66%, but fortunately it is actually not a common cancer,” Dr. Gersh says.

“The ACS estimates that 13,800 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed this year alone â and that number doesnât include pre-cancers, which are much more commonly diagnosed,” Dr. Rizk says. Compared to the millions of people who have HPV, that’s a very small number.

How Gardasil 9 Works

Human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted virus. Its spread by vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone whos infected with the virus. HPV can cause several conditions, including cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, and head and neck cancers, and genital warts.

Gardasil 9 is a vaccine that works by activating your immune system against HPV. Your immune systems main job is to identify and fight off germs. However, the first time your body sees a new germ, it may not fight it as quickly. Getting a vaccine helps to prepare your immune system in case you come into contact with that specific bacteria or virus later.

In the case of Gardasil 9, the vaccine gets your body ready to fight off HPV in case youre exposed to it. Gardasil 9 is made of proteins that are similar to parts of the HPV virus. It doesnt contain any actual HPV virus, so it cant make you sick.

The proteins that look like HPV trigger your immune system, and your body builds up an immunity to those proteins. Therefore, if youre exposed to any of the nine types of HPV the vaccine protects against, your body will already know how to fight the virus. This makes it much less likely that youll develop genital warts or cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, or head and neck cancer caused by HPV. It also lowers your risk of getting anal intraepithelial neoplasia .

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