The HPV vaccination programme has became a worldwide effort to protect against HPV infection. In Malaysia, the HPV vaccination program was implemented in 2010. Girls aged between 12 to 13 years old were given free vaccination in school.
Prior to this, routine cervical pap smear testing was the main preventive measure for cervical cancer in Malaysia. However, the uptake rates were not satisfactory. In 2006, only about 43.7% of women attended routine cervical smear testing. Many factors contributed to this, including lack of knowledge of the disease with low perception of cancer risk from HPV. As of now, there are still many women who have not received a HPV vaccination as they have missed the opportunity to do so in school.
This article discusses about HPV vaccine facts and the eligibility of HPV vaccination in Malaysia.
Summary of this article
There are 3 licensed HPV vaccines
The vaccination is divided into 3 doses
The vaccine does not confer life-long protection
The vaccine does not prevent all cervical cancer caused by HPV infections
HPV vaccination can be given to women who are already sexually active
HPV vaccination is not recommended to be given to women who are pregnant
HPV vaccination can be given to boys and men
HPV vaccination can be obtained from LPPKN in Malaysia
1. How many types of HPV vaccine is available and licensed?
There are 3 types of licensed vaccines for use :
Cervarix - protection against HPV types 16 and 18
Gardasil - protection against HPV types 16, 18 and additional 6 and 11
Gardasil 9 - protection against HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18 , and additional 35, 45, 52 and 58
All three vaccines prevent infection with HPV types 16 and 18, two high risk HPV that cases about 70% of cervical cancer.
Gardasil has protection against HPV types 6 and 11, which causes 90% of genital warts.
Gardasil 9 has additional protection against five additional cancer-causing HPV types 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58; which together account for 10 to 20% of cervical cancers.
Take home message : Gardasil 9 provides protection to more types of HPV infection. However, it is costly and each vaccination may cost up to above RM 1000 for the total 3 vaccination.
This may sound expensive, however it will provide a long-time protection against high risk HPV infections.
2. How many doses of HPV vaccine are needed?
It is recommended for each individual to receive 3 doses of HPV vaccination within 6 months.
The schedule is as below:
1st dose - Date of first vaccination
2nd dose - One month after first vaccination
3rd dose - Six months after first vaccination
For academic purposes
Currently there are research ongoing regarding the number of HPV doses that deem the vaccine to be effective.
For further information, please visit the link I have enclosed below under NIH HPV vaccination facts.
3. How effective are HPV vaccines?
HPV vaccines do not provide life-long protection. Long term studies are still in progress to understand the total duration of protection by HPV vaccines.
As to date, current studies have revealed that the long-term protection differs from the type of vaccines used.
Below shows the duration of protection against targeted HPV for each HPV vaccine:
Cervavix - at least 9 years
Gardasil - at least 10 years
Gardasil 9 - at least 6 years
4. Does the vaccine provide 100% protection against cervical cancer?
The vaccine does not confer 100% protection against cervical cancer.
This is because the vaccine does not protect against all HPV.
Due to this, it is extremely important for women to continue getting screened for cervical cancer.
5. Will the vaccine be benefited by women who are already sexually active?
There are still many types of HPV that is not protected against the vaccine. Ideally, the vaccine should be received before being sexually active and exposed to HPV.
However, the vaccine is still recommended to women who are already sexually active. This is because it is unlikely that most individuals will be infected with all the high risk HPV types and may benefit from the vaccine.
It is recommended for most women, especially young women, to benefit from the protection provided by the vaccine.
6. Is it safe for pregnant women to be receive HPV vaccination?
Receiving vaccination during pregnancy is not recommended.
There are studies that show HPV vaccine to not cause detrimental effects on newborns among women who were vaccinated during pregnancy. However, the data is still limited and more research needs to be done.
If a pregnant woman have not completed her HPV vaccination regime, she should wait to receive the next dose once her pregnancy finishes.
7. Is vaccination recommended for boys and men?
In the United States, HPV vaccine is licensed for boys and men. It has been found to be safe and effective for males aged between 9 to 26 years of age and recommended to be given for males.
However, there is no vaccination programme for males in Malaysia at the moment.
Vaccination for male can be obtained by consultation with your primary care physician.
8. What is the eligibility programme for HPV vaccination in Malaysia?
For 2019, the HPV vaccination is FREE to female Malaysian citizen or Permanent Resident fulfilling the eligibility criteria below:
Born in 1992-1996
Single/unmarried
Not pregnant
No severe allergies that requires hospital admission
These individuals are able to get their vaccination at Nur Sejahtera clinics, LPPKN.
Visit the LPPKN website for more information:
This article is based on these Validated Resources
1. CDC HPV Vaccination Facts
2. NIH HPV Vaccination Facts
Malaysia’s Resource for HPV and Cervical Cancer
1. HPV and Cervical Cancer
2. HPV self-screening In Malaysia
Image source : https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44494377
Please be aware that the contents of my blog are based on current available evidence, as to date from the time the entry is written. Good practise and expert advise is very much an evolving situation and the available evidence may be updated after this content is written.
Please take note that the content of my blog does not constitute formal medical advice. If you have any concerns regarding your health, please consult your physician.
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