Side effects
Both the bivalent and the tetravalent cervical cancer vaccine are considered to be well tolerated, so severe side effects are rare. The more frequent undesirable side effects include allergic reactions at the injection site (redness, swelling, itching) and fever. Patients with a known allergy to the ingredients contained in the vaccine should not be administered.
Other side effects may include nausea and vomiting, dizziness and fainting, headache, muscle and joint pain. Worldwide, only five cases have been reported worldwide in which inflammatory processes of the central nervous system have developed during cervical vaccination. However, a direct connection could not be proven at present, nor could it be proven for the only two deaths of girls who had undergone a protective vaccination.
Vaccinations against cervical cancer. After promising results in animal experiments, scientists have now been able to prove in clinical studies that a newly developed vaccine is highly effective with few side effects. The vaccine consists of proteins that correspond to those from the envelope of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccination stimulates the immune system to produce self-protective proteins (so-called antibodies) against the cancer-causing viruses, comparable to training.The effect of the vaccination is intensified by an additional adjuvant that activates the immune system. An effective protection over 4.5 years has been proven for women aged 25 to 55 years.
Discussion about the vaccination
Studies show that the vaccine is almost 100% effective against the precursors of cervical cancer if vaccinated before first sexual contact. Nevertheless the vaccination is controversial in Germany. This is due to the following points of contention.
If a woman is infected with a HPV virus, this does not mean that she will get cervical cancer. The chance of getting cancer through an infection with the HPV virus is less than 0.1%. Normally, the body’s immune system fights the virus and the infection is cured on average within 12-15 months.
Even if it is not successfully fought by the immune system, a so-called dysplasia, i.e. a change in the cells, occurs long before cancer develops. These dysplasias can be divided into different stages. It often takes up to 10 years before stage one develops into cancer.
In Germany, women are encouraged to visit a gynecologist about once a year to have a smear test to find out exactly what these cell changes are. If a woman is infected with HPV and the cells change slowly, this is usually discovered long before the cancer develops. The infection rate of sexually active women in Germany is over 50%, therefore only young patients are usually advised to get a cervical cancer vaccination.
It is often assumed that vaccinated patients no longer need to go for cancer screening because they have been vaccinated. However, this is a widespread misunderstanding. Cancer can also occur without HPV and can also be caused by other HPV strains that cannot be vaccinated.
It is therefore advisable for every woman to visit her doctor regularly and have herself examined. The vaccination also works, like any vaccination, only preventive and not if cervical cancer already exists. This means that the HPV vaccination is no longer effective if the patient already has cervical cancer or is infected with the HPV virus.
Despite the low probability of getting cancer, it may be advisable to be vaccinated. As mentioned above, it is a long way from infection to cell alteration to cancer, but nevertheless, over 50% of all cell alterations of grade two and three HPV viruses have been detected. In addition, HPV viruses can also cause other cancers, such as Therefore, many studies are currently being carried out to see if young men would benefit from an HPV vaccination.
- Oral cavity cancer
- Cancer of the anusand
- Cancer of the penis
