Gardasil - HPV Vaccine

GARDASIL - THE HPV VACCINE
By Dr. Peter Simonson

If you and your practitioner decide to proceed with the HPV vaccine, please review the following issues. Please also visit the Merck website http://www.gardasil.com/.

-The vaccine is administered to girls/adult women ages 9 through 26

-It is administered in the deltoid muscle of the arm or in the upper thigh

-Three doses are necessary. The second dose is given two months after the first dose and the third dose is given six months after the first dose. These are approximate times and do not need to be rigidly pursued. An attempt should be made, though, to approximate these dosing intervals.

-The vaccine is most effective if given prior to initiation of sexual activity. It covers 9 HPV virus sub-types, which means it protects you against the 9 most common strains of the HPV virus. As such, the vaccine will not protect you against other HPV types which are less common at this time. Thus, it is possible to get an abnormal Pap test or HPV infection after having been vaccinated, if you are exposed to an HPV type that is other than the above nine sub-types.

-The vaccine is not considered a treatment for HPV infection- if you have been previously exposed to HPV, conventional treatments may be necessary.

-You can still be vaccinated with Gardasil if you have been previously exposed to HPV; the vaccine would protect you, then, from the other HPV strains to which you were not previously exposed.

The following side effects have been observed. Besides the local discomfort that is common after any vaccination, the others mentioned are unusual. In studies using placebo, no statistical difference was observed with Gardasil with regard to these less common occurrences.

Common local side effects:
-Pain, swelling, itching and redness at the injection site

Less common side effects:
-Fever, nausea and dizziness

We will order the medication for you. As stated above, three doses are necessary, so three visits are required.

More information regarding this HPV vaccine (Gardasil) can be found on the Merck website, http://www.gardasil.com/.

GARDASIL HPV VACCINE CONSENT FORM

If you and your practitioner decide to proceed with the HPV vaccine, please review the following issues and sign the consent form. Please also visit Merck’s website at: http://www.gardasil.com/.

The vaccine is administered to girls/adult women ages 9 through 26

It is administered in the deltoid muscle of the arm or in the upper thigh
Three doses are necessary. The second dose is given two months after the first dose and the third dose is given six months after the first dose. These are approximate times and do not need to be rigidly pursued. An attempt should be made, though, to approximate these dosing intervals.
The vaccine is most effective if given prior to initiation of sexual activity. It is “quadravalent” which means it protects you against only 4 common strains of the HPV virus (types 6, 11, 16 and 18). As such, the vaccine will not protect you against other HPV types which are less common at this time. Thus, it is possible to get and abnormal Pap test or HPV infection after having been vaccinated, if you are exposed to an HPV type that is other than the above mentioned types.
The vaccine is not considered a treatment for HPV infection- if you have been previously exposed to HPV, conventional treatments may be necessary.
You can still be vaccinated with Gardasil if you have been previously exposed to HPV; the vaccine would protect you, then, from the other HPV strains to which you were not previously exposed.

The following side effects have been observed. Besides the local discomfort that is common after any vaccination, the others mentioned are unusual. In studies using placebo, no statistical difference was observed with Gardasil with regard to these less common occurrences:

Common local side effects:

Pain, swelling, itching and redness at the injection site

Less common side effects:

Fever, nausea and dizziness

We will give you a prescription for the Gardasil Vaccine which you will fill at your pharmacy. You will simply bring the prefilled syringe with you to your appointment. As stated above, three doses are necessary, so the prescription will have 2 refills, for the second and third doses.

Please note: If you or you child has other services done at the time of your visit (well exam, pap smear, etc.), these services will be billed separately, as is the usual case.

More information regarding this HPV vaccine (Gardasil) can be found on the Merck website, http://www.gardasil.com/.

Consent Form

I have read the above office consent form and office policy regarding administration of the Gardasil Vaccine. I have reviewed the Gardasil website and have had the opportunity to ask the staff appropriate questions regarding Gardasil and its administration to myself or my child.

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