Indication of Gardasil:
Gardasil is a vaccine that prevents diseases caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18. These include: Genital warts HPV infection Cervical cancer, vaginal cancer and vulvar cancer
Action of Gardasil:
There are over 100 types of HPV. Gardasil stimulates the body to produce antibodies against certain strains (6, 11, 16, 18) which have been linked to the majority of cervical cancer and genital warts cases around the world. Gardasil prevents diseases caused by these viruses, but does not treat them.
Dose Advice of Gardasil:
The vaccine is more effective if given to someone before he/she becomes sexually active. The vaccine is injected into the arm muscle or leg muscle. You are required to have 3 injections. The first one is at a set date. The second one is 2 months after the first dose and the last dose is 6 months after the first dose (i.e. at 0, 2 and 6 months). It is important to remember that Gardasil does not provide complete protection against cervical cancer, and therefore it is still important to get your regular screening. It is important that you notify your doctor if you are planning to become or are currently pregnant (ADEC category B2) or breastfeeding. It is also important that you notify your doctor if you are HIV positive so that your doctor can discuss the risks and benefits of using this medication during this time.
Schedule of Gardasil:
Schedule 4
Common side effects of Gardasil:
All medicines have side effects. Some side effects can be serious, but the most common ones are mild. Common side effects occurring in more than 1% of patients prescribed Gardasil include: Fever Pain, itching, redness and swelling at the injection site
Uncommon side effects of Gardasil:
Uncommon side effects that occur in less than 1% of patients. Do not be alarmed by this list. A patient will not necessarily experience any of these: Shortness of breath, wheezing Rashes Signs of allergy including swelling of face and other parts of the body.Consult your doctor if you experience any of the above symptoms, or any other unusual or abnormal symptoms.
Reference:
Australian Medicines Handbook. Gasdasil [Monograph online]. AMH Pty Ltd 2007. [Cited November 29, 2007]. Available from: http: //www.amh.net.au Gardasil. MIMS Online. [Monograph online] MIMS Australia Pty Ltd 2007[Cited November 29, 2007]. Available from: http: //www.mims.com.au Australian Government Department of Health and Aging. The National HPV vaccination program [homepage on the internet]. c2007 [updated 2007 Mar 09; cited 2007 Nov 29]. Available from: http: //www.health.gov.au/cervicalcancer
Diseases treated by Gardasil:
Cervical Cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix) Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
