Cervical Cancer Vaccines

In the modern world today, teenagers are not safe from contracting infectious disease from premarital sex. Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are very common to those who are sexually active and having multiple sexual partners. Protection when having sex is the most significant to do to avoid contracting diseases. Such use of condoms is the smartest thing to do to help each other from transferring them. But protection does not technically mean that you are safe from other diseases that cause severe diseases in the future. Cervical cancer is the one of the most helpless disease that can occur to people with active sexual lifestyle and multiple partners. This cancer caused by Human papillomavirus is contracted through the years the person is actively in sex. This HPV is been associated more in women because it is the cervix that usually affected and targeted.

Prevention of cervical cancer caused by Human papillomavirus can be prevented through introduction of some vaccines that can help to immunize the body to build-up antibodies to fight against the infectious disease. There are two leading prophylactic vaccines in the market today. Gardasil (Merck & Co.) and Cervarix (GSK). But which of the two is most useful and have significantly used to prevent the cervical cancer to women and possibly to men? 

Cervarix vaccine is a divalent vaccine having to prevent two types of HPV.  HVP types 16 and 18 are found to cause 70% of cervical cancer. They have been induced the cancers in the neck and head. It also contains a registered adjuvant ASO4, which been found to increase and boost the immunity in long expand of time. While, Gardasil vaccine is a quadrivalent vaccine to prevent four types of HVP. Because it is a quadrivalent  vaccine, it has broad spectrum on different types of cancer. The HVP types 6, 11, 16 and 18 are types of virus that causing cervical cancer and other cancerous diseases that preventable when Gardasil is given. Having the same types of HPV with Cervarix, it has been used to prevent 70% of inducing cervical cancer, but Gardasil having with additional HPV types is an advantage. The other HPV types 6 and 11 are most likely to cause 90% of genital warts are preventable when this vaccine is administered. Also Gardasil can be given prevent men to have cancerous diseases that likely to have with that of women. The two vaccines are given in three shots within the six months. Giving the second shot in the second month after the first, and the third shot on the fourth month after the second dose is administered.

Most Widely Used

The two have the same main use and action to prevent cancers caused by HPV. But the two have different significant advantages according to the clinical studies and postmarket research. Cervarix has an advantage in popularity reason because of the promotional strategies they did, especially on appearance in television ads. Most OB-Gyne doctors recommended and preferred Gardasil to be given to their patients, because of its broad-spectrum in preventing different types of HVP. They also recommend to men to be vaccinated to help them avoid having contracting warts or even cancer. Within the cost-effectiveness, Cervarix is mostly likely to be cheaper than Gardasil, having ranged from PhP1,500.00 to PhP2,000.00, hence, Gardasil is expensive.