80% of people will have an
HPV infection in their lifetime.
There are different types of HPV. Low risk HPV types cause warts. High risk types of HPV can lead to cancer.
The HPV vaccine protects against many cancers, when given before
skin-to-skin contact occurs.
To access the HPV vaccine, talk to your healthcare provider, pharmacist, or public health nurse.
The youth immunization catch-up program is now taking appointments for immunizations such as HPV. Young people who have missed this routine school-based immunization due to the pandemic can make an appointment at many provincial vaccine sites or by contacting the vaccine call centre at 1-844-MAN-VACC (1-844-626-8222). Information is being mailed out to parents and caregivers soon and is posted at https://protectmb.ca/school-immunizations/. Catch up appointments will be available beginning the week of August 23, 2021.
The HPV vaccine Toolkit is a collection of items for health educators to promote informed decision-making around the HPV vaccine. Elements can be used in an e-newsletter, on a website or in an email. All items are available for download. Items available for order have an order button listed below. If you have a suggestions for change or feedback, email us.
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As parents, we all want to protect the health and well-being of our children. Most people will get an HPV infection at some point in their lifetime. HPV is a very common virus that can cause genital warts, pre-cancerous cells and cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, mouth, throat, anus, and penis. You can prevent cancer in your child from cancers caused by the HPV types covered in the HPV vaccine by choosing to vaccinate your child against HPV. It's that simple.
To read information written by Manitoba Health and Seniors Care for parents about the HPV vaccine, safety, and the Manitoba HPV Immunization Program:
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Canada have a website directed to the general public on the topics of HPV, signs and symptoms, prevention, and frequently asked questions.
To learn more about immunizations and how they protect against many diseases, see these Canadian sites:
This site summarizes the scientific evidence about all vaccines approved by the Public Health Agency of Canada:
If you have questions about the HPV vaccine, you can contact Manitoba Health and Seniors Care at vaccines@gov.mb.ca
Your recommendation counts! You may get questions about the HPV immunization and other immunizations that you are not sure how to answer. Below are some links that might be helpful.
To help prepare students to manage the feelings and sensations they may experience on the day they receive the HPV vaccine, check out a series of resources produced by The Hospital for Sick Children:
SOGC has a website directed to the general public and providers on the topics of HPV, signs and symptoms, prevention, and frequently asked questions. Included for educators are lesson plans, other teaching tools, and resources for order.
To learn more about immunizations and how they protect against many diseases, see these Canadian sites:
The Canadian Cancer Society has developed a series of visuals (pdf) to help educate the public about HPV and the impact of the HPV vaccine.
The HPV vaccine is a safe vaccine.
Like any vaccine or medication, side effects may occur. The most commonly reported side effects from the HPV vaccine include:
at the site of injection. To date, no serious side effects have been shown to be caused by the HPV vaccine.
Before a vaccine is approved by Health Canada and ready to use in Canada, it undergoes a long testing process that takes at least 10 years. Health Canada approves vaccines based on a scientific review of their quality, safety, and effectiveness.
After a vaccine is approved, it is monitored on an ongoing basis at a local, provincial, and national level for any adverse events after immunization. An adverse event following immunizations (AEFI) is any unwanted effect that occurs in a person after they are given a vaccine. Each case is carefully reviewed to determine if the adverse event was caused by the HPV vaccine. Systems and groups exist to continually monitor, review, and recommend after each adverse event following immunization. These groups include:
The benefits of the HPV vaccine include:
Be aware that the:
Cervical Cancer Survivor, Winnipeg, age 42 (diagnosed at age 39)
My world was turned upside down when I was only 39 years old and told that I had cancer. I'm currently in remission and want you to know that as a parent of a 10 year old little girl, I would never want to see her suffer the way I did. You have the opportunity to prevent unnecessary pain and hardship for not only your child, but for your entire family too. Please, don't chance it, vaccinate your child against HPV, it could save his or her life.
Anita, Morden, MB
What I would really love for parents to know is that I lost someone I loved dearly because of cervical cancer. She was someone who was with one partner her entire life, in a committed relationship. Her faith was really important to her. But she still had HPV and because of that she died at the age of 39. Had this vaccine been available to her when she was in grade 6, she would still be here to raise her girls.