HPV Vaccine

The NHS and UK Government offers the (human papilloma virus) HPV vaccine free to all girls from the age of 12 up to their 18th birthday. The HPV Vaccine helps protect them against cervical cancer, which is the most common cancer in women under 35 in the UK. In England, girls aged 12 to 13 years are routinely offered the first of HPV vaccination when they’re in school year 8. The second dose of HPV Vaccine is normally offered 6 to 12 months after the first (in school year 8 or year 9). The HPV vaccine is effective at stopping girls getting the types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers. It’s important to have both doses to be protected.

As with all medical treatments, drugs and vaccines it is important that parents do thorough research so that they can come to an informed decision as to what is in the best interests of their children. If you have any concerns speak to your child’s GP or the hospital consultant in charge of their care. The information on this page was taken from the NHS and UK Government sites available at the links provided. Home Health UK does not advocate any treatment and is simply trying to provide information.

Further Information

Read on for more information about the HPV and the HPV Vaccine.
To see more infomration on HPV from the NHS click here.
For more infomration on the HPV vaccine from the NHS click here.
In addition, if you would like even more information from verywellhealth.com click here.

What is HPV

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the name for a group of viruses that affect your skin and the moist membranes lining your body.

Examples of this include your:

cervix
anus
mouth and throat

There are more than 100 types of HPV. Around 30 types of HPV infection can affect the genital area.

Genital HPV infections are common and highly contagious. They are spread during sexual intercourse and skin-to-skin contact of the genital areas.

What can HPV infection do?

Infection with some types of genital HPV can cause:

Genital warts – which is the second most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in England.
Abnormal tissue growth and other changes to cells within your cervix – which can sometimes lead to cervical cancer.

Girls aged 12-13 are offered a vaccination against HPV to help protect them against types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer. Women aged 25-64 are offered cervical screening to check for abnormal cells in the cervix.

Other types of HPV infection can cause minor problems, such as common skin warts and verrucas.
(Source: NHS)