HPV vaccine available at base clinic

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brandon Rizzo
  • 916th Air Refueling Wing
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The medical clinic here is now offering free Human Papilloma Virus vaccinations to female military members who are under 25 years of age.

The vaccine's purpose is to reduce the risk of cervical cancer, and precancerous cervical, vulvar and vaginal conditions, and genital warts caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines on the vaccine state the vaccination is recommended for females ages 11 and 12, and females ages 13-26 who have not previously been vaccinated.

GARDASIL is an intramuscular vaccine. It is administered in the upper arm or upper thigh in three doses over a six-month period.

There are about 40 known types of HPV. However, the four types most likely to cause cancer and genital warts were used to produce this quadravalent vaccine.

The vaccine was developed by pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc. and has been undergoing clinical trials for more than a decade.

The studies were performed with two groups of people with approximately 8,000 people in each group, said Col. William H. Bobbit, the commander of the 916th Air Refueling Wing's Aerospace Medicine Flight. One group received the actual vaccine, while the control group received a placebo.

"The idea is that over a certain period of time, can you show that there's less viral infection in the vaccinated group," said Colonel Bobbit. "More importantly, can you show that there's less cervical cancer? The point in fact is that they showed both - really convincingly."

The vaccination has the ability to have a profound effect on the population, said Colonel Bobbit.

"If you can prevent that primary infection, you can have a long-term effect on not only that person's health, but on the country's healthcare system," said Colonel Bobbit.

Female Airmen on base have already begun receiving the series of vaccinations.

"I've only had one of the series of shots, and I receive another next drill," said Senior Airman Andrea R. Clinton, a service apprentice with the 916th Services Flight. "A vaccine that works to prevent a specific cancer seems to be a good idea, if it's been proven to have positive results.

"I would greatly recommend it to any female capable of receiving the vaccination," added Senior Airman Clinton. "You have a choice to receive it, but I'll rather be safe than sorry."

Approximately 20 million people in the United States are infected with HPV, and about 6 million new cases are reported each year, said Colonel Bobbit.

Eighty percent of women will have acquired the virus by age 50. About 240,000 deaths worldwide are attributed to cervical cancer every year.