Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine - About the HPV vaccine

Mikey:

Hello, my name is Mikey Denman, I’m a presenter and a nurse in the A&E department.

Hawys:

Helo, I’m Hawys Youlden, Lead Nurse for the vaccine preventable disease programme in Public Health Wales. Can I just get a whoop for actually saying that, that’s first time it’s ever come out.

Mikey:

I’m not going to lie to you that was very impressive. So today we wanted to speak about the HPV vaccine and learn a bit more about it to be honest with you. I wanted to ask you, you know as the immunisation. What is the HPV vaccine?

Hawys:

Let’s start by having a little chat about what HPV is itself. So lots of people might have heard about HPV or the HPV virus. And it’s basically the shortened name for a virus called the Human Papillomavirus, which is a family of viruses actually. There’s over a hundred different strains of the HPV virus.

Hawys:

It’s really common, about eight out of ten people will come in contact with the virus at some point in their lives, and most people will clear it from the body without any help at all. But for some people, it can stay in the body for a long time and this can cause some changes to the cells in the body, which could eventually lead to cancer.

Mikey:

Yes, because, for me I was thinking about HPV, I was thinking about perhaps smear tests with women, but now we hear that the HPV vaccine, that they give it to men who have sex with other men.

Hawys:

That’s it, yes. Well, a little history about the HPV vaccine, it started, it was introduced in 2008 as a programme for girls in their teens for that reason, to prevent them from getting cervical cancer. But over the years then, experts found out that the vaccine can also prevent some other types of cancer becuase it was preventing the infections that the virus was causing.

Hawys:

So then in 2017, they offered the HPV vaccine to men who are gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men through sexual health clinics.

Mikey:

I also wanted to ask, if someone had HIV, are they still eligible for the vaccine?

Hawys:

Yes, so people with HIV or people with weak immune systems can still get the HPV vaccine but it’s important for them to talk to their doctor or nurse so they can assess them because they might need additional doses.

Mikey:

Okay, okay.

Mikey:

You know so much, it’s so interesting to hear so much about it and as well see so much more information about it now online and I think it’s so important because it can literally stop cancer, this vaccine.

Hawys:

That’s it, absolutely and who would have thought that we would ever live in an era where we’ve got a vaccine that can prevent cancer? That’s something that blows me away.

Mikey:

And it’s thank you to nurses like you.

Hawys:

Oh thank you. Just me.

Mikey:

I love health promotion so much, and I think putting preventative measures in place so early on, it’s so important and so vital for the NHS because, you know, if we can stop things like, you know, stopping cancers now, just think that’ll help, it just helps the population so much.

Hawys:

You need a job in Public Health Wales then.

Mikey:

Yeah, I do. I’ll be in on Monday. I might only be the tea lady but I’ll be the tea lady very happily.

Hawys:

There we go.

(aside)

[Have you got coconut maccaroons?]

Mikey:

Whoah. I’ll definitely be there by Monday then.

Mikey:

I also wanted to ask, how do people actually know they have HPV? Are there symptoms?

Hawys:

No, and that’s the problem, HPV doesn’t cause any symptoms at all for most people so they don’t know if they’ve been infected and then they can get the virus and pass it onto other people without knowing, so that’s why it’s important for people to get the vaccine, so they can protect themselves against nine types of HPV strains.

Mikey:

Yes, and the thing is, it protects against nine types as well, and you’re not just protecting yourself, you’re protecting other people.

Hawys:

Exactly, that’s it, and the nine types of HPV that the vaccine protects against, they call them ‘high-risk HPVs’ so we know that those nine strains are the ones that are responsible for causing cancer.

Mikey:

So say now if somebody has already had HPV in the past or maybe if they didn’t know that they had it, would they now be eligible to have the vaccine?

Hawys:

So the the groups eligible are children from 12 and 13 years of age that’s year eight in school, so they’re an eligible cohort as well as gay and bisexual men who have sex with men up until the age of 45. But with the vaccine, it covers nine different strains of HPV. So even if somebody has had one strain of HPV in the past, it’s still important to have the vaccine to protect against the other strains.

Mikey:

Yeah exactly because it’s protecting you against this, you might have only had one of those strains, so it will protect you against the rest.

Hawys:

Yes, exactly.

Mikey:

Yes.

Hawys:

Something simple you can do to protect yourself. Not just now, but your future, you know, long way down the line.

Mikey:

Yeah. You’re literally a fountain of knowledge. I’ve learned so much on this call, I have to say.

Hawys:

I’m glad

Mikey,

No, even as a nurse, it’s so important to know things like this, and you know, this vaccine is actually amazing because if you think about it, cancer can affect people in a way, it’s just not nice. And something like the vaccine can help protect people against cancer just, I can’t even put it into words.

Hawys:

No. It’s so important though, it is important. It’s importnat for people to get the vaccine if they’re eligible to protect them for a long time isn’t it.

Mikey:

So, where could… oh my gosh, sorry girls. So where would we find maybe more information on the HPV vaccines and your eligibility?

Hawys:

So you can visit the Public Health Wales Vaccination page for more information on HPV vaccine and other vaccinations.

Mikey:

Okay, fab. That’s just literally online, quick click and there we go. Thank you so much, genuinely thank you so much for speaking with me today. I’ve loved this conversation, I feel like I’ve learned so much. You know, even just to think like cancer and things that they can cause so much pain and so much agony for people and for families and something like a vaccine, the HPV vaccine can help so much. And I’m so excited to actually see like, the outcomes of the HPV vaccine in years to come. Thank you so much. Thank you Hawys, I’ve really enjoyed this today, thanks.

Hawys:

You’re welcome Mickey, lovely to talk to you.

Mikey:

Thank you, bye!

Hawys:

Bye now, bye!

[laughter]

Mikey:

I actually said to someone earlier, I said “my name is Mikey”, you know like, my keys. They were from America and they came in last night, like, not even ten minutes later, and they said, “Oh, car key are you up to anything tonight?”

Hawys:

Car key!

Mikey:

I was like, uh, girl?

Hawys:

That’s better. Car key.

Mikey:

Yes, I was like, car key? Ok. Oh, thank you Hawys, I really enjoyed this chat. Literally now, I really enjoyed this chat. I’ve learned so much. Because I’ve looked into HPV and things like that, but I’ve learned loads more after this and having this conversation.

Hawys:

Oh, it’s so important. It’s great that we can share this information, to make people aware of what’s happening.

Hey, I’m Cerys, a nurse, and I want to show you how we can work together to protect you against HPV. If you’re in year 8, so age 12-13 – this information is for you!

Firstly, what is HPV? It’s a group of viruses that can cause some types of cancer as well as warts and infection in the skin.

Most of the time your body will naturally produce antibodies to fight off infections and viruses, but to protect against HPV, the vaccine gives us a helping hand.

This clever solution [pause] teaches your body how to protect itself against HPV, it really is that simple, and one dose is all you’ll require in your lifetime.

So, I’m sure you’re wondering, does the HPV vaccine hurt? Well… you may feel a little pinch on the side of your upper arm but the feeling shouldn’t last very long. If you are worried at all, the Nurse will understand and can offer some reassurance.

As it’s something new for your body to get used to, sometimes the HPV vaccine can cause a sore head or an achey arm where you had the vaccine, but this usually goes away quickly.

So, what happens next? In year 8, a school nursing or immunisation team will come to your school to offer you this valuable vaccine. You’ll have time to take information home and discuss the vaccine with a parent or guardian. The nurse will only give you the vaccine if they have your and your parent or guardian’s consent.  If you don’t go to school, ask your parent or guardian to make you an appointment with the practice nurse at your local GP surgery.

Why not share what you’ve learned about HPV with your parents or guardians by showing them this video or they can head to the Public Health Wales website.

HPV is a shortened name for Human Papillomavirus, which is common but can cause some cancers.

It’s spread by skin to skin contact, but not many people have symptoms, so then it’s difficult to know that you have it.

It’s estimated that 8 out of 10 people will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives. But having HPV doesn’t mean that you will definitely get cancer.

The vaccine used in the UK for HPV is Gardasil 9 and it contains individual proteins from nine different types of HPV, which protect you against the virus.

The HPV vaccine is given via injection in the upper arm. It’s an excellent protection against the virus and the cancer that it causes.

Cervical cancer is the main cancer linked to HPV, but it can also cause cancer in the vulva, vagina, anus, penis and some types of throat and mouth cancers.

Since it was introduced in 2008, the HPV vaccine has reduced the cervical cancer rate by 90% in women in their twenties.

The vaccine is expected to save hundreds of lives each year in the UK.

The side effects of the HPV vaccine are usually mild. The most common side effects are a headache, and pain in the upper arm at the injection site, and they usually go away very quickly.

As with all other vaccines, the HPV side effects are monitored and reviewed by the MHRA in the UK.

The HPV vaccine has been found to be effective and safe and is an excellent protection against HPV.