Some very brief information on the Cervarix Vaccine.

Particularly for the young lady I was talking to today, who had decided not to have the vaccine.

I had a very interesting conversation today with a young lady, particularly about the adjuvants in the Cervarix vaccine and the properties of the antigen (how the virus is presented in the vaccine).

The Cervarix vaccine contains virus-like particles, which contain structural proteins from the virus, but lack the means to reproduce and so are not infectious. So, to answer the young lady's question, the vaccine does not contain live virus. It contains proteins from the virus that the immune system recognises and produces antibodies against.

However, since injection into deep muscle is not the normal route for a virus to enter your body, the vaccine manufacturers have to add something, called an "adjuvant," to help stimulate the immune system to respond and produce antibodies. The adjuvant in Cervarix is aluminium hydroxide.

The best way for anyone to decided whether they are going to take a vaccine, is to gather as much information as possible for themselves. In this way they can make an informed decision.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) And The Vaccine.

WHAT IS HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS? (HPV)

A human papillomavirus is a papilloma virus that infects the epidermis (skin) and mucous membranes of humans. HPV can lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina and anus in women. I men, it can lead to cancers of the anus and penis.

Approximately 130 HPV types have been identified. Some HPV types can cause warts (verrucae), but those types don't cause cancer. Other types can cause cancer, but those types don't cause warts. Other types have no symptoms and are harmless. Most people who become infected with HPV do not know they have it.

About 30-40 HPV types are typically transmitted through sexual contact and infect the anogenital region. Some types may cause genital warts. Persistent infection with "high-risk" HPV types—different from the ones that cause warts—may progress to pre-cancerous lesions and invasive cancer. HPV infection is thought to be the cause of most cases of cervical cancer. However, most HPV infections in young females are temporary and have little long-term significance. 70% of infections are gone in 1 year and 90% in 2 years.

Most people have now heard of the HPV vaccines which are now being offered to young teenage females. Two vaccines are available, which are designed to prevent infection by some HPV types, Gardasil, marketed by Merck and Cervarix, marketed by GlaxoSmithKline. Both are intended to protect against initial infection with HPV types 16 and 18, which cause most of the HPV associated cancer cases. Gardasil is also said to protect against HPV types 6 and 11, which cause 90 percent of genital warts.

Both vaccines are delivered in three shots over six months. In most countries they're approved only for female use.

The History Of Modern Vaccination

Edward Jenner vaccinating James Phipps.

Although a form of immunisation was used in ancient China, modern vaccination was developed by Doctor Edward Jenner. Jenner was a doctor who worked in Gloucestershire and the great advance he made was to notice that individuals who had contracted cowpox (the cow's equivalent of smallpox) rarely caught the deadly human version. In 1796 he deliberately infected an eight year old boy called James Phipps with the pus from a cowpox sore. The boy became ill with cowpox but recovered. He then infected him with the normally deadly smallpox. As Jenner had predicted the earlier infection with the cowpox actually protected the boy who never caught smallpox. The practice of modern vaccination was born.

After many more successful vaccinations, Jenner published his results in 1798. However, they were met with skepticism and many doctors still carried out the more dangerous practice of inoculation with live smallpox pus. It was not until 1840 that this dangerous practice was banned and in 1853 vaccination by Jenner's method was made compulsory. Protestors argued against compulsory vaccination, saying that it limited their personal choice; a similar debate to the one raging today over the HPV and H1N1 vaccines.

In modern times, smallpox was judged to be the first vaccine-preventable disease and the World Health Organisation coordinated the global effort to eradicate the disease. The last naturally occurring case of smallpox was reported in Somalia in 1977 and the WHO's vaccination programme was judged to be the cause.

The next disease targeted by the WHO for global eradication was polio, with a target of the year 2000. This target has been missed, but eradication of polio is said to be very close, thanks to the vaccination programme. The next target is likely to be Measles.

Combined vaccinations are now widely used around the world, a result of the rapid increase in the number of shots recommended in current schedules.

In the UK, before a child goes to school at around age 4/5, he will have had a wide range of vaccinations, mostly combined.

• Two months old: Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Pneumococcal infection
• Three months old: Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Meningitis C
• Four months old: Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)Meningitis C
• Pneumococcal infection
• Around 12 months: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) Meningitis C
• Around 13 months: Measles, mumps and rubella, Pneumococcal infection
• Three years and four months or soon after:Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio. Measles, mumps and rubella.

During the school years:

• Girls aged 12-13 years: cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus, types 16 and 18
• 13 - 18 year olds: diphtheria, tetanus, polio.

Vaccination, as the administration of antigenic material to produce immunity to disease, is thought to be the most effective and cost-effective method of preventing infectious diseases.