Talk to your health care provider about HPV vaccination

Yes. Talk with your oncology care team and/or primary health care provider about when it is the right time to resume remaining doses. Childhood cancer survivors can usually be vaccinated six months after completion of treatment, based on the Children’s Oncology Group Long-term Follow-up Guidelines.

Almost every child in the U.S. can get the HPV vaccine for free or at a greatly reduced cost through health insurance or the Vaccines for Children program. If you are a patient at St. Jude, ask your oncology care team about HPV vaccination at your next visit. 

It’s important to get all the recommended doses. This ensures the best protection against a second cancer caused by HPV. Talk to your child’s oncology care team or primary health care provider about HPV vaccination today. Three doses are recommended for most childhood cancer survivors regardless of age at first dose. This is because research has not been done to show that two doses work as well as three in children treated for cancer. However, some childhood cancer survivors may need fewer doses.

Yes, ask your child’s oncology care team at St. Jude to get more information about HPV vaccination. 

Yes, the HPV vaccine has been part of the routine vaccination schedule in the United States since 2006. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children start the HPV vaccine at age 9. Children ages 9 to 14 need two doses, while those who start at age 15 or older need three doses. Learn more about the vaccine schedule.

For childhood cancer survivors, talk with your child’s oncology care team or primary health care provider about HPV vaccination. Childhood cancer survivors can usually be vaccinated six months after completion of treatment, based on the Children’s Oncology Group Long-term Follow-up Guidelines. Three doses are recommended for most childhood cancer survivors regardless of age at first dose. This is because research has not been done to show that two doses work as well as three in children treated for cancer. However, some childhood cancer survivors may need fewer doses. 

Always talk to your child’s oncology care team or primary health care provider to determine if vaccinations are safe. Childhood cancer survivors can usually be vaccinated six months after completion of treatment, based on the Children’s Oncology Group Long-term Follow-up Guidelines.

The current HPV vaccination in the United States is Gardasil 9. Since 2016, Gardasil 9 has been the only HPV vaccine available for use in the United States. This vaccine protects against nine types of HPV, including those that cause the majority of cervical, anal, and throat cancers, as well as most genital warts. HPV vaccination protects against six types of cancer affecting everyone. 

At your next visit, talk with your child’s oncology care team about HPV vaccination. This can be as simple as asking about which routinely recommended vaccinations are recommended for your child. Childhood cancer survivors can usually be vaccinated six months after completion of treatment, based on the Children’s Oncology Group Long-term Follow-up Guidelines. HPV vaccination is cancer prevention. 

HPV vaccine is safe and effective at preventing HPV-related infections and cancers. Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. Many people who get the HPV vaccine have no side effects at all. The most common side effects are usually mild, like a sore arm from the shot. Reports of serious health issues after HPV vaccination are consistently rare—around 1.8 per 100,000 HPV vaccine doses, or 0.0018%.

The HPV vaccine is considered safe for childhood cancer survivors, and it's recommended for them. The Children’s Oncology Group Long-term Follow-up Guidelines recommend a three-dose series, starting six months after the completion of cancer treatment, regardless of the survivor's age at the first dose. This is because childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk of developing HPV cancers and because research has not been done to show that two doses work as well as three in children treated for cancer.

If you have questions about the safety of HPV vaccination for your child, talk to your child’s oncology care team or primary health care provider.

Many pharmacies, including CVS or Walgreens, offer HPV vaccination. The specific regulations around accessing HPV vaccination at pharmacies depends on whether the state allows for someone to be vaccinated at a pharmacy with or without a prescription, the individual’s age, and insurance status, which may influence cost. For childhood cancer survivors, talk to your child’s oncology care team or primary health care provider about HPV vaccination.

No, you cannot get HPV from the blood supply. HPV is spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact, not through blood or body fluids. While some research has shown the presence of HPV DNA in blood and a theoretical possibility of transmission via a hematogenous route in animal models, standard guidance and medical organizations state that HPV is not transmitted through blood transfusions or blood products. Therefore, the blood supply in the U.S. is not tested for HPV DNA.