The HPV vaccine used in the school programme is called Gardasil, and protects against four out of 170 types of the virus: numbers 6, 11, 16, 18.
In women, HPV can cause changes in the cervix (the lower part of the uterus, or womb) which can lead to cervical cancer. In most cases, the virus clears on its own and does not have any symptoms, but in some cases, it can lead to genital warts. HPV stands for Human Papillomavirus, which is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, with almost all men and women contracting it at some point in their lives.Īccording to the HSE, 80% of women contract HPV, usually in their late teens or 20s.
Jacqui Madden in Co Roscommon and Deirdre Lally in Co Wicklow asked us to look into their claims, and assess the safety of the HPV vaccine, so we did. We have re-checked and, if necessary, updated all figures to ensure its accuracy.ĪS THE SCHOOL year begins, tens of thousands of girls in the first year of secondary school will be offered the HPV vaccine in Ireland.īut a campaign called Regret has come to prominence, questioning the safety of the vaccine, and claiming it caused illness in 400 Irish teenage girls and young women after they took it. This article was first published on 11 September 2016, but on foot of this week’s debate about the HPV vaccine, we are republishing.