HPV is a very common virus that is sexually transmitted. Most people will be infected by HPV at some time in their life. It’s spread through close skin to skin contact during any type of sexual activity with a man or woman.
HPV can stay in the body for many years. It can stay at very low or undetectable levels and not cause any problems. This means an HPV infection may have come from a partner a long time ago. In most people, their immune system can get rid of the virus without them ever knowing they had it.
There are more than 100 different types of HPV. Only some of the high-risk types can lead to cancer. For some women, instead of their immune system clearing the infection, HPV can cause cells in the cervix to become abnormal. High-risk HPV types are now known to cause almost all cases of cervical cancer. Women who don’t clear high-risk HPV infection may develop pre-cancerous changes to the cells of the cervix. If the cell changes aren't treated, these can develop into cervical cancer.
In men, high-risk HPV types can cause more rare cancers, such as cancer of the anus, penis, head and neck.
Nurses will attend year 8 students in all schools, during January and February.
You should receive a leaflet, letter, and consent form from your child’s school.
It's important to return the consent form to school as soon as possible, as consent forms need to be filled in even if you do not consent to the vaccine being given.
On the day the nurses attend the school, each child will be given the vaccine in a private booth. If your child is absent on the day of the vaccine, there will be an opportunity to come to a catch-up clinic in the hospital. Details of this will be sent home from school.
Nurses have also attended most schools to educate students on HPV and the vaccine. However, if you would like to discuss further, you can contact the Immunisation Team as listed above.
Dates for year 8 HPV vaccination
In Jersey we use the Gardasil 9 brand of the vaccine to protect against HPV, the same as the United Kingdon (UK) and follow the guidance and recommendations of the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) as published in the Green Book Chapter 18a Human papillomavirus (HPV).
The HPV vaccine is effective at stopping people getting the types of HPV infection that cause most cervical cancers and some anal and genital cancers and cancers of the head and neck.
Gardasil®9 contains Virus Like Particles (VLPs) for nine HPV types (6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58: nine valent vaccine).
Girls who have the HPV vaccine reduce their risk of getting cervical cancer by over 70%. It protects against:
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HPV types 16 and 18 that cause more than 74% of cervical cancer cases
- HPV types 6 and 11 that cause about 90% of cases of genital warts
Since September 2019, boys have been offered HPV vaccine in school year 8 at the same time as girls. This will protect boys against:
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HPV types 16 and 18 that can cause cancers affecting men, such as cancer of the anus, penis, head and neck
- HPV types 6 and 11 that cause about 90% of cases of genital warts
Since HPV vaccine was introduced for girls in 2008, this has indirectly helped to protect boys against these types of cancer and genital warts. This is because vaccinated girls will not pass HPV on to them, this is known as herd protection.
The number of genital wart infections in the UK has already fallen in both girls and boys because of the girls' vaccination programme.
A catch-up vaccination programme for older boys is not necessary as evidence suggests they're already benefitting greatly from the indirect protection that's built up from over 10 years of the girls' HPV vaccination programme.
More information about the HPV vaccine is available on the
NHS website.
We use the
Gardasil 9 brand of the vaccine, the same as the UK.
The vaccine had extensive studies and clinical trials before it was licensed for use and, like all medicines, continues to be monitored.
Tens of millions of doses have been given around the world and it's safety is well established. You can find out more about the
HPV vaccination guidance for healthcare practitioners.
Side effects of the vaccination
As with all vaccinations, it's not uncommon to experience mild soreness in the arm. This wears off within a day or two. More serious side effects are extremely rare.
More information about
side effects is available on the NHS website.
Reporting of side effects
If you experience any suspected side effects to the vaccine, you can report these on the Yellow Card website, by calling +44 (0) 800 731 6789 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or by downloading the Yellow Card app.
The truth behind some of the most commonly believed HPV myths:
HPV Leaflet: Jersey Year 8 School Vaccinations
HPV Leaflet: UK Version
Your guide to HPV vaccination for all: Health Publications
HPV Leaflet: UK Portuguese Translation your guide to HPV vaccination for all: Brazilian Pt: Health Publications
HPV Leaflet: UK Other Language Translations Search Publications - Health Publications
HPV Guide: UK Signed VideoYour guide to HPV vaccination for all BSL Health Publications
HPV: UK Easy Read GuideYour guide to HPV vaccination for all Easy Read Health Publications