Cancer vaccine for youth is effective, safeThe HPV vaccine is very safe, and most people don’t have any problems or side effects. Studies have shown the vaccine caused HPV rates to decline 64 percent among teenaged girls ages 14 to 19, and 34 percent among women ages 20 to 24. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kristin High) by: Military Health System Communications Office
The HPV vaccine is safe and nearly 100-percent effective, health care experts say. But only about half of the target youth population – in either the civilian sector or among Military Health System beneficiaries – have received it.
“Health care providers need to help parents understand the value of the vaccine,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Heather Halvorson, deputy chief of the Defense Health Agency Immunization Health Care Branch.
“HPV can cause many different types of cancer,” she said. “People need to get the vaccine before they’re exposed to the virus. That’s why we recommend the vaccine for younger age groups.”
“It’s a great vaccine,” said Dr. Bruce McClenathan, medical director of the DHA immunization regional office at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. “Widespread vaccination for HPV would have huge potential to reduce many types of cancer.”
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is very common, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 1 in 4 people in the United States has at least one of about 120 different HPV strains. The virus spreads through intimate skin-on-skin contact.
Nearly 14 million new cases of HPV infections occur every year, McClenathan said, adding that about half are among 15 to 24 year olds.
Usually, there are no signs or symptoms of an HPV infection. Most people don’t develop health problems, and the virus typically goes away on its own after a couple of years. But there’s no way to predict who will clear the virus and who won’t, McClenathan said.
If an HPV infection persists, it can eventually cause genital warts and many types of cancer. Almost all cervical cancer is HPV related; about 17,600 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the United States annually, McClenathan said.
“At least we have the Pap smear as a good test for cervical cancer,” he said. “With other HPV-related cancers, there really aren’t any good screening tests.”
About 90 percent of all anal cancers, 72 percent of all throat cancers, and 1 percent of all vaginal and vulvar cancers are also linked to HPV, he said. So are about 71 percent of penile cancers.
The target age for the HPV vaccine is 11 or 12. The vaccine is approved for girls and boys as young as 9, and women and men up to age 26. Only one HPV vaccine, Gardasil 9, is now used.
Nine to 14 year olds receive two doses of the vaccine. They get the second dose six months after the first. Those 15 and older receive three doses. The second dose is two months after the first, and the third dose is six months after the first.
For routine HPV vaccination of younger service members, the Department of Defense follows guidelines from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. “We’re catching people at the tail end of the age recommendation,” Halvorson said. “Hopefully, they were vaccinated when they were growing up, before they joined the military.”
According to a study published in the most recent issue of Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, the number of active-duty service members diagnosed with HPV declined from 2007 to 2016, with a 75 percent decrease among women in uniform. Researchers say the decline may be related to the introduction of the HPV vaccine for civilian girls and young women in 2006.
The vaccine is very safe, and most people don’t have any problems or side effects, McClenathan said. And studies have shown the vaccine caused HPV rates to decline 64 percent among teenaged girls ages 14 to 19, and 34 percent among women ages 20 to 24. “So we clearly know the vaccine is not only safe, it’s also effective in preventing HPV,” he said.
“This is a cancer-preventing vaccine,” Halvorson said. “But we have to get people vaccinated early.”
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Private First Class Yardy Collins from Monrovia, Liberia, and his fellow classmates wait for the start of the Medical Education and Training Campus preventive medicine specialist graduation ceremony October 20. Collins is the first international military student from Liberia to graduate from the program. (DoD photo by Lisa Braun) by: Lisa Braun, Medical Education and Training Campus Public Affairs
FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS – Private First Class Yardy Collins holds the distinction of being the first international student from Liberia to graduate from the preventive medicine specialist program at the Medical Education and Training Campus on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston October 20.
Collins, from Monrovia, joined the Liberian army because of his desire to save lives, and provide care and treatment to his country and the army. His career goal is to further himself in the medical field, and the preventive medicine course has brought him a step closer.
“I chose to become a preventive medicine specialist because I want to provide good sanitation services to my country,” explained Collins. “My career goal is to be a professional nurse and a public health specialist in line with this unique course.”
According to Mr. Oscar Ramos, director of the U.S. Army Medical Department Center & School, International Programs Division, Collins is one of a selected few Liberian enlisted soldiers to attend METC- hosted programs and the only one to have completed the preventive medicine specialist course from his country and U.S. Africa Command.
The International Programs Division provides direct support to the international military students attending [joint] training under the auspices of the Department of State/ Department of Defense Security Cooperation Education and Training Program.
“The Armed Forces of Liberia enlisted medical personnel train alongside their U.S. counterparts in support of the U.S. Army Surgeon General’s global mission to promote standardization and interoperability throughout the military spectrum, while enhancing partner nations’ medical capabilities,” said Ramos.
In addition to the formal training, Collins also participated in several DoD Field Study Program trips throughout the state of Texas exposing him to U.S. culture, government institutions and human rights, stated Ramos.
Lt. Col. Paul Lang, Army Service Lead for the preventive medicine specialist program, knows first-hand the hardships Liberia faces with regard to adequate sanitation.
“Because of my time working at U.S. Army Africa and, specifically, taking part in the Ebola response in Liberia, I have a deep admiration and respect for the people of Liberia and its army,” said Lang.
“When I learned we would have a Liberian student in the class I was very excited. Pfc. Collins embodies the hard work and spirit of the Liberian people,” Lang continued. “He is a natural leader whose quiet confidence and high standards were infectious to the rest of his peers and improved the experience for others in the class. I know that he will take the knowledge and skills he learned here back to Liberia and make an immediate impact.”
Collins admitted having to overcome some challenges in the course, such as his fear of speaking in front of an audience, learning how to use the computer for on-line research, and anxiety about different teaching methods. However, he was not without support.
“My instructors and the staff were great and helped me overcome my limitations,” Collins said. “When I needed help, they were there for me.”
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FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS – Private First Class Yardy Collins holds the distinction of being the first international student from Liberia to graduate from the preventive medicine specialist program at the Medical Education and Training Campus on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston October 20.
Collins, from Monrovia, joined the Liberian army because of his desire to save lives, and provide care and treatment to his country and the army. His career goal is to further himself in the medical field, and the preventive medicine course has brought him a step closer.
“I chose to become a preventive medicine specialist because I want to provide good sanitation services to my country,” explained Collins. “My career goal is to be a professional nurse and a public health specialist in line with this unique course.”
According to Mr. Oscar Ramos, director of the U.S. Army Medical Department Center & School, International Programs Division, Collins is one of a selected few Liberian enlisted soldiers to attend METC- hosted programs and the only one to have completed the preventive medicine specialist course from his country and U.S. Africa Command.
The International Programs Division provides direct support to the international military students attending [joint] training under the auspices of the Department of State/ Department of Defense Security Cooperation Education and Training Program.
“The Armed Forces of Liberia enlisted medical personnel train alongside their U.S. counterparts in support of the U.S. Army Surgeon General’s global mission to promote standardization and interoperability throughout the military spectrum, while enhancing partner nations’ medical capabilities,” said Ramos.
In addition to the formal training, Collins also participated in several DoD Field Study Program trips throughout the state of Texas exposing him to U.S. culture, government institutions and human rights, stated Ramos.
Lt. Col. Paul Lang, Army Service Lead for the preventive medicine specialist program, knows first-hand the hardships Liberia faces with regard to adequate sanitation.
“Because of my time working at U.S. Army Africa and, specifically, taking part in the Ebola response in Liberia, I have a deep admiration and respect for the people of Liberia and its army,” said Lang.
“When I learned we would have a Liberian student in the class I was very excited. Pfc. Collins embodies the hard work and spirit of the Liberian people,” Lang continued. “He is a natural leader whose quiet confidence and high standards were infectious to the rest of his peers and improved the experience for others in the class. I know that he will take the knowledge and skills he learned here back to Liberia and make an immediate impact.”
Collins admitted having to overcome some challenges in the course, such as his fear of speaking in front of an audience, learning how to use the computer for on-line research, and anxiety about different teaching methods. However, he was not without support.
“My instructors and the staff were great and helped me overcome my limitations,” Collins said. “When I needed help, they were there for me.”
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Questions for MHS?
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