Vaccines - hpv

Overview of vaccines:-
• A vaccine contains either a dead or a weakened form of a disease causing microbe (antigen) or its toxins. The body’s immune system then recognises the agent as foreign and it’s destroyed. The immune system is able to remember the agent and so if the body encounters it again the immune system is able to react and destroy it more quickly in the future.
• The most common way of administering a vaccine is via an injection, however some can be taken orally and others via a nasal spray.
Artificial Active Immunisation
A non pathogenic form of a pathogen or part of a pathogen is injected into the recipient. The body thinks that it’s a real pathogen and its B cells produce antibodies to destroy the pathogen. These antibodies are stored and so when the body comes into contact with the “real” pathogen in the future the immune response is quicker.
Artificial Passive Immunisation
This is the type of immunisation where antibodies are injected directly into the recipient. Immunity only lasts for a short while and there is a risk of hypersensitivity reactions especially if the antibodies are from a non-human source. This type of immunisation provides immediate protection, however not memory and so the patient is still at risk if infected by same pathogen in the future.
HPV specific
• Human Papilloma Virus also referred to as “wart virus” because can sometimes lead to genital warts.
• Virus that affects the skin and moist membranes lining the body e. g. Cervix, anus, mouth and throat.
• The most common high risk types of Hpv are Hpv-16 and Hpv-18 which cause around 70% of cervical cancers.
• It’s the most common sexually transmitted infection.
• There are two different types of the HPV vaccine available. These are called Gardasil and Cervarix. The vaccine used in the UK national vaccination programme is Cervarix.
• Cervarix protects against Hpv-16 and Hpv-18, but not other types of Hpv viruses. Gardasil also protects against types 6 and 11 which can cause genital warts, however this is only available privately.
• Cervarix contains an inactive form of Hpv-16 and Hpv-18 and therefore falls under the artificial active immunity category.
• The vaccine is administered via 3 injections into the arm. The second injection is given 1-2 months after the first and the third injection given approximately 6 months after the first one.
• The Hpv virus is given to girls aged 12-13 as it’s thought to be more effective before girls become sexually active.
• Side effects of the vaccine can include headache, fever, sickness dizziness, diarrhoea, muscle pain and in some very rare cases an allergic reaction leading to breathing problems and sometimes collapsing.
• The HPV virus has a long incubation period that typically ranges from three weeks to eight months.