Question

1. Can the HPV vaccine cause infection? Explain 2. Many individuals have been infected with HPV. Why do all of these people not develop cervical cancer?

Answer 1

1) No HPV vaccine itself could not produce infection.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Most infections are asymptomatic and become undetectable, but some can be persistent and can progress to cancer in both women and men later in life.

HPV vaccine

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are vaccines that prevent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus. Available vaccines protect against either two, four, or nine types of HPV. All vaccines protect against at least HPV types 16 and 18, which cause the greatest risk of cervical cancer. It is estimated that the vaccines may prevent 70% of cervical cancer, 80% of anal cancer, 60% of vaginal cancer, 40% of vulvar cancer and possibly some mouth cancer

Common Side Effects

• Pain, redness, or swelling in the arm where the shot was given
• Fever
• Headache or feeling tired
• Nausea
• Muscle or joint pain
• Injection site reactions (pain, swelling, and redness)

• Analysis from Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS): Researchers reviewed 7,244 reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System following HPV vaccination from December 2014 through December 2017. Of those reports, around 97% were classified as non-serious; around 3% were considered serious. The analysis did not detect any new or unexpected safety concerns.
• Analysis from  Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD): The Vaccine Safety Datalink conducted near-real time surveillance from October 2015 through October 2017, looking at 11 pre-specified adverse events. During this two-year time period, nearly 840,000 doses were administered to people aged 9-26 years at six VSD sites. No new safety concerns were identified.

2)

Most of the time HPV infections go away on their own in 1 to 2 years. Yet some people stay infected for many years. If you don't treat an HPV infection, it can cause cells inside your cervix to turn into cancer. It can often take between 10 and 30 years from the time you're infected until a tumor forms. Also cervical cancer is caused by sexually acquired infection with certain types of HPV. Two HPV types (16 and 18) cause 70% of cervical cancers and pre-cancerous cervical lesions.