A lot of misconceptions and controversy surround vaccines, especially in terms of their effectiveness and side effects. Many believe that vaccines can can do more harm than good. However, immunization can and continues to save millions of lives all over the globe. So do vaccines, like “anti cervical cancer vaccine,” really work against cancer work?
Immunization is the process of administering a vaccine to help prevent diseases. Developments in the field of medicine have resulted in many vaccines that can completely eliminate one’s risk of diseases such as measles, malaria, influenza, and etc. Vaccines can also help ward off viral infections that may cause other diseases such as cancer.
Cancer is a group of diseases that are characterized by the development of abnormal cells in certain parts of the body. Today, scientists and doctors are still unsure about the definite cause of cancer and many still succumb to the disease. Vaccines are one way to prevent cancer even before the risk arises.
Learn more about vaccines, and what specific vaccines can prevent cancer.
What Are Vaccines?
When viruses or bacteria enter your body, the immune system responds by fighting off the intruder. Feeling sick or under the weather is usually an indication that your body is trying to get rid of a virus. Vaccines are a type of medication that are able to stimulate the body’s immune system without actually having to be exposed to a certain illness or disease.
This is why vaccines are important. Instead of getting treated for a certain illness, vaccines make sure that the body already knows how to fend off specific viruses so that you’re basically immune. Vaccines, such as the HPV vaccine, which some people call anti cervical cancer vaccine, work by:
- Making sure that the immune system remembers a certain germ.
- Stimulates the immune system to make antibodies, which are naturally produced by the immune system in response to certain bacteria or viruses.
- Trains the immune system on how to respond to a germ if the body encounters it in the future.
Worried about cervical cancer? Check your risk:
Why Should You Get Vaccinated?
Most of the criticism towards vaccines are founded on misconceptions that hold no truth. In reality, vaccines, like the anti cervical cancer vaccine, are the safest way you can prevent infectious diseases. The following are a few reasons why you should get vaccinated:
- Vaccines can give you protection against a specific virus without having to get sick.
- The diseases that vaccines prevent still exist, which means that you can still get them especially if you opt to not get vaccinated.
- Getting vaccinated is cheaper compared to the expense of getting treated for a certain disease.
- Vaccines can protect children and infants because most vaccines can be administered at a young age.
Vaccines and cancer prevention
A vaccine for cancer is yet to be created because cancer is caused by cells, which are made by the body. This can be trickier for the immune system to detect considering that it isn’t a foreign body such as a virus or bacteria that the immune system is trained to fight.
Vaccines against cancer are not specifically created to directly prevent cancer itself. However, there are existing vaccines that can ward off viral infections that can lead to certain types of cancer. These vaccines can help lower the risk of certain cancers.
Examples of vaccines that can help with preventing diseases linked to cancer are the following:
HPV Vaccine
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of viruses that can be transmitted through oral, anal, or vaginal sex. It is the most common type of sexually transmitted disease (STD) and can cause genital warts or cancer if left untreated. HPV can be grouped into two types namely:
- Low-risk HPV: This type of HPV doesn’t usually cause any symptoms, and may go away on its own
- High-risk HPV: This type of HPV can be chronic, and with time the affected cells can mutate into cancer cells. HPV 16 and HPV 18 are usually categorized as “high-risk” because they can cause cancer over time. For this reason, some people call the HPV vaccine as anti cervical cancer vaccine.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children as young as 9 years old can get vaccinated against HPV. Ideally, the vaccine should be administered when the child is between the ages of 11 to 12 years old. Usually, the vaccine comes in two doses.
Adults who are not older than 26 years old can be vaccinated as well. This can prevent new infections of HPV for those who are sexually active. Getting vaccinated greatly reduces an individual’s risk of the following cancers:
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vaginal Cancer
- Anal Cancer
- Cervical Cancer
- Oropharyngeal Cancer
- Penile Cancer
- Mouth and Throat Cancer
