Female Body Concerns / Question
Published: December 13, 2007
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I got the first dose of Gardisil. And haven't gotten any more of the does because we dont have enought money to pay for it. since I only got a thrid of the treatment, will that affect what Gardisil does for me?
Signed: Can't Pay For Gardisil
Dear Can't Pay For Gardisil,
Gardisil is the vaccine developed against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which infects about 6.2 million Americans each year. About 20 million people, men and women, are thought to have an active HPV infection at any given time.
The FDA recently approved the vaccine – Gardisil- against the four most common types of HPV, types 16, 18, 11 and 6. The vaccine and is given to females 9-26 years if age in a three dose series over a 6-month period. The vaccine is almost 100% effective in preventing diseases caused by the four HPV types covered by the vaccine– including pre-cancers of the cervix, vulva and vagina, and genital warts
The only reported side effect of the vaccine is some local tenderness at the injection site. One important thing to keep in mind is that there are many types of HPV, more than just the 4 most common types. Therefore, once you are immunized with the Gardisil vaccine d 6) you have to continue to have your annual Pap smears with your regular physician in case you are infected with a less common form of HPV.
It is not yet known how much protection girls/women would get from receiving only one or two doses of the vaccine. For this reason, it is very important that girls/women get all three doses of the vaccine.
The HPV vaccine is given through a series of three shots over a 6-month period. The second and third doses should be given 2 and 6 months (respectively) after the first dose
The retail price of the vaccine is $120 per dose ($360 for full series).
While some insurance companies may cover the vaccine, others may not. Most large insurance plans usually cover the costs of recommended vaccines. However, there is often a short lag-time after a vaccine is recommended, before it is available and covered by health plans.
Federal health programs such as Vaccines for Children (VFC) will cover the HPV vaccine. The VFC program provides free vaccines to children and teens under 19 years of age, who are either uninsured, Medicaid-eligible, American Indian, or Alaska Native. There are over 45,000 sites that provide VFC vaccines, including hospitals, private clinics, and public clinics. The VFC Program also allows children and teens to get VFC vaccines through Federally Qualified Health Centers or
Some states also provide free or low-cost vaccines at public health department clinics to people without health insurance coverage for vaccines.
If you are between the ages of 13 – 26 years TeenHealthFX strongly encourages you to talk to your doctor to see if the vaccine is right for you. If you don't have a doctor and live in northern
For more information you can log onto these websites:
Center for Disease Control HPV Information
American Social Health Association
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Crash risk is particularly high during the first year that teenagers are eligible to drive.
