How does Gardasil (Vaccine) work:

Gardasil (Vaccine) is generally used to prevent diseases, which are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18. To those diseases belong genital warts, cervical cancer and pre-cancerous abnormalities of cells in the cervix vulva and/ or vagina.

Vaccines operate through the injection of weakened or dead viruses into your body that your body can defend itself against it. It works by stimulating your immune system and produces certain antibodies to fight HPV. As there are specific strains of HPV viruses that can be linked to cervical cancer, Gardasil mainstay is to give the body immunity to some of those strains.

Dosage & Administration:

Gardasil will be given to you in a physician’s office or in a hospital in the form of an injection into the muscle of your thigh or arm. The first injection of three in total one can receive between the ages 9 and 26. Two month after your first injection u will have to get injected the second shot. After six additional months you get the third injection from your physician or pharmacists.

Make sure that u will get all three injections as advised by your physician or department of health, since protection against the disease cannot be fully granted, in case you do not get the full series vaccine. If you cannot avoid (due to holiday- or buisiness trip) to miss out on a dose of Gardasil or if you get behind schedule, the next dose should be given as soon as possible. Your physician may prescribe Gardasil, even if you had genital warts before, or if you had a positive HPV test and/ or if you had an abnormal pap smear before.

Note: Gardasil is not meant for the treatment of active genital warts or HPV-related cancers, and it is not a remedy for HPV infection.

Side Effects:

Like any drug, when using Gardasil certain reverse actions may occur. Although risks of severe side effects is quite low. In case you do observe any of the below listed signs of allergic reaction, consult a physician or pharmacist, since some of these reactions need emergence medical assistance.

• Hives
• Breath difficulties
• Swelling of face
• Swelling of lips
• Swelling of tongue
• Swelling of throat.

In some cases patients feel dizzy or faint after they received the vaccine. If so, mostly this will be experienced within the first 15 minutes after injection.
Other Gardasil side effects are the subsequents:

• Redness and/ or itching on the area where the syringe was given
• Mild fever
• Stomach upset
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Joint and/or muscle pain
• Dizziness
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Runny and/or stuffy nose
• Tiredness

Precautions:

Please always tell your physician or pharmacist if you have the following symptoms before you want to apply Gardasil:

• Weak immune system
• High fever
• Symptoms of infection
• Hemophilia (or any other bleeding disorders)
• When using Coumadin (or any other blood thinner)

Further Advice:

Please inform your physician if you are pregnant or in case you do plan a pregnancy, before using Gardasil. The same is valid for pregnant or breast feeding woman.

Further Information:

Gardasil is not able to protect you from sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia, trichomoniasis, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea and HIV. Moreover, Gardasil cannot keep you from diseases such as HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18.

Please note: Gardasil is not designed for the treatment of genital warts, cervical cancer or precancerous growths. Moreover, Gardasil will not cure an HPV infection. Gardasil is not a cure for genital warts and therefor it will not be able to improve symptoms of genital warts. Gardasil was build for the prevention of those diseases, not for their treatment.