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What
is Gardasil? |
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Gardasil is an HPV vaccine, the first FDA-licensed
vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer
and other diseases in females caused by certain
types of genital human papillomavirus (HPV).
The Gardasil vaccine protects against four
types of HPV that are responsible for 70%
of cervical cancers.
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Who
Should Receive the Gardasil HPV Vaccine? |
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The Gardasil HPV Vaccine is recommended for
girls as young as 9 years of age. Ideally, the
vaccine should be administered before the onset
of sexual activity. However, females who are
already sexaully active may also benefit from
vaccination.
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Is
the Gardasil HPV Vaccine Safe? |
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The Gardasil HPV Vaccine was licenced in
June 2006 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
for its use. It has also been tested in over
11,000 females in many countries around the
world. The vaccine was found to be safe and
caused no serious side effects.
You should discuss individual concerns with
your doctor before receiving the vaccination.
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How
Should I get the Gardasil HPV Vaccine? |
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The Gardasil HPV Vaccine should be delivered
through a series of three injections over
a six-month period. The second dose is given
2 months after the first dose, and the third
dose is given 4 months after the second dose.
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Is Gardasil More Suitable for Me than Cervarix? |
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There is currently no extensive research
to compare the effectiveness of Gardasil against
Cervarix for the protection of cervical cancer.
In addition to cervical cancer, Gardasil is
also shown to be effective in preventing vaginal
cancer, vulvar cancer, and genital warts.
On the other hand, studies also show that
the antibodies level may be higher in women
who received the Cervarix vaccine.
In general, both HPV vaccines are effective
in protection against around 70% of cervical
cancers in young women.
You should discuss individual concerns with
your doctor before receiving the vaccination.
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Useful
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