How effective is the HPV vaccine?

Doctor's Answers 1

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Dr Paul Ang

General Practitioner

The effectiveness depends on many factors.

For it to be most effective, you should take it as young as possible (9
years old), before the first intercourse.

Also it depends on which country you are in.

But overall, it is still a very effective vaccine to prevent against cancer, a devastating illness.

Similar Questions

Can one be fully protected against HPV with a vaccine?

No. There are more than 100 different strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Some of them are known to cause Genital Warts, which is an STI, whereas others are linked to skin warts on the feet, fingers etc, but are not STI. HPV that causes genital warts are usually spread by direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual exposure (vaginal, anal and oral) or even heavy petting. The transmission occurs when warts are present but is also possible even when there are no visible signs. There are individuals who carry the virus for months and years but do not show signs.

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Answered By

Human

Can I safely have the chickenpox vaccine if I am unsure if I had chickenpox before?

Thank you Jxnxlxx for your question. It's a common question that is posed to us. A vaccine is essentially a "weakened" form of the virus, it is trying to make your own body immune system react to it. So even if you are already infected before and immune, taking another vaccine would do no harm. (Your body "remembers" these past infections and makes you "immune) Testing is usually expensive and takes about a week, and even if the test is negative, you could still be immune, because your body stores the "memory" somewhere.

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Answered By

Dr Paul Ang

General Practitioner

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