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

Who should be vaccinated against HPV?

  • There are currently 2 HPV vaccines available in South Africa:

    • A quadrivalent vaccine, which is indicated for girls and women 9 to 45 years , and for boys and men 9 to 26 years of age. 2, 18

    • A bivalent vaccine, which is indicated for girls and women from 9 years of age.22
  • Genital warts and genital lesions have shown to be greatly reduced in young women who were vaccinated early with the HPV vaccine.19, 20
  • National population vaccination programmes have demonstrated that abnormal pap smears have been reduced in just a few years after the start of the vaccination programme with the HPV vaccine.15, 20, 21
  • Although screening programmes in boys and men are lacking, it is known that both can get infected with HPV and can transmit the virus.9, 11, 14, 15
  • Genital warts are the most common HPV related disease in boys and men.9, 11, 14, 15
  • HPV has been linked to anal, and penile cancers in men.9, 11, 14, 15
  • Studies have shown that even for those women who have had HPV disease, vaccination does reduce recurrence of HPV diseases.25
  • Best protective results for vaccination are however seen in those who have not yet had contact with the virus15, 34.