Are Pap smears still necessary for women who receive HPV vaccine?Yes. Vaccinated women still need to see their healthcare provider for periodic cervical cancer screening. The vaccine does not provide protection against all types of HPV that cause cervical cancer, so even vaccinated women will still be at risk for some cancers from HPV. 9vHPV is an inactivated 9-valent vaccine licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2014. It contains 7 oncogenic (cancer-causing) HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58) and two HPV types that cause most genital warts (6 and 11). The 9vHPV vaccine is licensed for females and males age 9 through 45 years. If a person has been infected with a wild-type strain of HPV can they be reinfected with the same strain?If a person is infected with an HPV strain that does not clear (that is, the person becomes persistently infected) the person cannot be reinfected because they are continuously infected.If a person is infected with an HPV strain that clears, some but not all persons will have a lower chance of reinfection with the same strain. Data suggest that females are more likely than males to develop immunity after clearance of natural infection.Prior infection with an HPV strain does not lessen the chance of infection with a different HPV strain. If a person has been infected with a wild-type strain of HPV can they be reinfected with the same strain?If a person is infected with an HPV strain that does not clear (that is, the person becomes persistently infected) the person cannot be reinfected because they are continuously infected.If a person is infected with an HPV strain that clears, some but not all persons will have a lower chance of reinfection with the same strain. Data suggest that females are more likely than males to develop immunity after clearance of natural infection.Prior infection with an HPV strain does not lessen the chance of infection with a different HPV strain. ACIP recommends a routine 2-dose HPV vaccine schedule for adolescents who start the vaccination series before the 15th birthday. The two doses should be separated by 6 to 12 months. The minimum interval between doses is 5 calendar months..A 3-dose schedule is recommended for people who start the series on or after the 15th birthday and for people with certain immunocompromising conditions (such as cancer, HIV infection, or taking immunosuppressive drugs). The second dose should be given 1 to 2 months after the first dose and the third dose 6 months after the first dose. The minimum interval between the first and second doses of vaccine is 4 weeks. The minimum interval between the second and third doses of vaccine is 12 weeks. The minimum interval between the first and third doses is 5 calendar months. If the vaccination series is interrupted, the series does not need to be restarted. Is asplenia considered to be an indication for a 3-dose HPV schedule?No. The recommendation for a 3-dose HPV schedule also does not apply to children 9 through 14 years with asthma, chronic granulomatous disease, chronic liver disease, chronic renal disease, central nervous system anatomic barrier defects (such as a cochlear implant), complement deficiency, diabetes, heart disease or sickle cell disease unless the person is receiving immunosuppressive therapy for the condition. If a patient has been sexually active for a number of years, is it still recommended to give HPV vaccine or to complete the HPV vaccine series?Yes. HPV vaccine should be administered to people who are already sexually active. Ideally, patients should be vaccinated before onset of sexual activity; however, people who have already been infected with one or more HPV types will still be protected from other HPV types in the vaccine that have not been acquired.
CDC
Are Pap smears still necessary for women who receive HPV vaccine?
