For additional information, please email HPVvaccine.co.za@merck.com

How do vaccines work?2, 3, 14, 15, 17

  • Vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce specific antibodies (soldiers) to fight the specific virus or bacteria vaccinated for, if it ever attacks the body.15
  • Vaccination programmes save millions of lives every year.31
  • Through vaccination small pox was eradicated.31
  • Vaccination programmes preventing polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, rotavirus, hepatitis and many more have saved millions of lives and are advocated and supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO).31
  • Some vaccines contain live or attenuated viruses/bacteria which are not suitable for immune compromised individuals.32
  • The HPV vaccine does not contain any virus. It is a recombinant vaccine, meaning the protein shell of the virus is created in a laboratory and no DNA or actual virus is present. Therefore there is no risk of causing the diseases vaccinated for.15
  • Similarly HPV vaccination is recommended by WHO and has been implemented in many countries around the world.33

How HPV vaccines are produced15

Vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) contain virus like particles (VLPs)—empty viral capsids with no viral DNA inside. Produced by recombinant DNA technology, they are both effective and safe, posing no risk of infection or cancer.

How HPV vaccines are produced