VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENT

HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine:
What You Need to Know1

Why get vaccinated?

HPV vaccine prevents infection with humanpapillomavirus (HPV) types that are associated withmany cancers, including:• cervical cancer in females,• vaginal and vulvar cancers in females,• anal cancer in females and males,• throat cancer in females and males, and• penile cancer in males.
In addition, HPV vaccine prevents infection with
HPV types that cause genital warts in both femalesand males.
In the U.S., about 12,000 women get cervical cancer
every year, and about 4,000 women die from it. HPV
vaccine can prevent most of these cases of cervicalcancer.
Vaccination is not a substitute for cervical cancer
screening. This vaccine does not protect against all HPV
types that can cause cervical cancer. Women should still
get regular Pap tests.
HPV infection usually comes from sexual contact, andmost people will become infected at some point in theirlife. About 14 million Americans, including teens, getinfected every year. Most infections will go away on
their own and not cause serious problems. But thousandsof women and men get cancer and other diseases fromHPV.

2HPV vaccine

HPV vaccine is approved by FDA and is recommended
by CDC for both males and females. It is routinely given
at 11 or 12 years of age, but it may be given beginning atage 9 years through age 26 years.
Most adolescents 9 through 14 years of age should
get HPV vaccine as a two-dose series with the doses
separated by 6-12 months. People who start HPV
vaccination at 15 years of age and older should get thevaccine as a three-dose series with the second dose
given 1-2 months after the first dose and the third dose
given 6 months after the first dose. There are several
exceptions to these age recommendations. Your healthcare provider can give you more information.

Many Vaccine Information Statements areavailable in Spanish and other languages.
See www.immunize.org/vis
Hojas de Información Sobre Vacunas están
disponibles en español y en muchos otros
idiomas. Visite www.immunize.org/vis

people should not3	Some
get this vaccine• Anyone who has had a severe (life-threatening)allergic reaction to a dose of HPV vaccine should
not get another dose.
• Anyone who has a severe (life threatening) allergy
to any component of HPV vaccine should not get
the vaccine.
Tell your doctor if you have any severe allergies thatyou know of, including a severe allergy to yeast.
• HPV vaccine is not recommended for pregnant
women. If you learn that you were pregnant when
you were vaccinated, there is no reason to expect
any problems for you or your baby. Any woman wholearns she was pregnant when she got HPV vaccine isencouraged to contact the manufacturer’s registry for
HPV vaccination during pregnancy at 1-800-986-8999.
Women who are breastfeeding may be vaccinated.
• If you have a mild illness, such as a cold, you canprobably get the vaccine today. If you are moderately
or severely ill, you should probably wait until you
recover. Your doctor can advise you.

4Risks of a vaccine reaction

With any medicine, including vaccines, there is a chanceof side effects. These are usually mild and go away on
their own, but serious reactions are also possible.
Most people who get HPV vaccine do not have any
serious problems with it.
Mild or moderate problems following
HPV vaccine:• Reactions in the arm where the shot was given:- Soreness (about 9 people in 10)- Redness or swelling (about 1 person in 3)• Fever:- Mild (100°F) (about 1 person in 10)- Moderate (102°F) (about 1 person in 65)• Other problems:- Headache (about 1 person in 3)
U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention

Problems that could happen after any
injected vaccine:• People sometimes faint after a medical procedure,
including vaccination. Sitting or lying down for about
15 minutes can help prevent fainting, and injuriescaused by a fall. Tell your doctor if you feel dizzy, or
have vision changes or ringing in the ears.
• Some people get severe pain in the shoulder and havedifficulty moving the arm where a shot was given. This
happens very rarely.
• Any medication can cause a severe allergic reaction.
Such reactions from a vaccine are very rare, estimatedat about 1 in a million doses, and would happen withina few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.
As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of avaccine causing a serious injury or death.
The safety of vaccines is always being monitored. For
more information, visit: www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/.

5What	if there is a serious
reaction?

What should I look for?
Look for anything that concerns you, such as signs ofa severe allergic reaction, very high fever, or unusualbehavior.

6The	
National Vaccine Injury
Compensation Program

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program(VICP) is a federal program that was created tocompensate people who may have been injured bycertain vaccines.
Persons who believe they may have been injured by avaccine can learn about the program and about filing aclaim by calling 1-800-338-2382 or visiting the VICP
website at www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation. Thereis a time limit to file a claim for compensation.

7

How can I learn more?

• Ask your health care provider. He or she can give you
the vaccine package insert or suggest other sources ofinformation.
• Call your local or state health department.
• Contact the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC):- Call 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO) or- Visit CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/hpv

Signs of a severe allergic reaction can include hives,
swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, afast heartbeat, dizziness, and weakness. These would
usually start a few minutes to a few hours after thevaccination.
What should I do?
If you think it is a severe allergic reaction or otheremergency that can’t wait, call 9-1-1 or get to the nearest
hospital. Otherwise, call your doctor.
Afterward, the reaction should be reported to the Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Your doctor
should file this report, or you can do it yourself throughthe VAERS web site at www.vaers.hhs.gov, or bycalling 1-800-822-7967.
VAERS does not give medical advice.

Vaccine Information Statement

HPV Vaccine
12/02/2016
42 U.S.C. § 300aa-26

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