🌱HPV vaccineのCorrect understandingFor

The HPV vaccine currently used in Japan is "Gardasil 9 (9-valent vaccine)."

Catch-up vaccinations ended on March 31, 2026.
*The 4-valent vaccine (Gardasil) is no longer being used for new vaccinations.
Here are the details regarding the HPV vaccine, please take a look.

HPV Fact Sheet (mhlw.go.jp) (External Link)
● HPV Vaccine Q&A | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (mhlw.go.jp) (External link)
●Learn about the HPV vaccine: The forefront of cervical cancer prevention (external link)

Scheduled vaccinations and their recipients (fully publicly funded)

The target audience is girls aged 6th grade to 1st year of high school. 
The vaccination schedule involves a total of two or three doses given at specific intervals. The timing and number of doses vary depending on the age of the person receiving the vaccine. For more details, please consult the medical institution where you will be vaccinated.
Additionally, it is recommended to complete the prescribed number of vaccinations within one year. 

[General Vaccination Schedule]

*1: There should be at least a 5-month interval between the first and second doses. If the interval is less than 5 months, a third dose will be required.
*2, 3: If the second and third vaccinations cannot be administered two months and six months after the first vaccination, respectively, there must be an interval of at least one month (※2) between the first and second vaccinations, and at least three months (※3) between the second and third vaccinations.

Those not eligible for regular vaccination (women aged 16 and over)

As of April 2026, women aged 16 and older can receive the vaccine on a voluntary basis (out-of-pocket expense). The 9-valent vaccine (Gardasil 9) is administered in three doses.

Those not eligible for regular vaccination (boys aged 9 and older)

Boys can get the HPV vaccine starting at age 9 (optional, out-of-pocket expense).
If vaccination begins before the age of 15, two doses are administered. If vaccination begins at age 15 or older, three doses are administered.

Vaccine safety

After HPV vaccination, pain, swelling, or redness may occur at the injection site.
The frequency is unknown, but severe side effects (severe allergic reactions, Guillain-Barré syndrome, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), immune thrombocytopenia) may occur. *1

Frequency	9-valent vaccine (Gardasil® 9)
Over 50%	Pain
Less than 10% to less than 50%	Swelling*, erythema*, headache
Less than 1-10%	Dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, itching*, fever, fatigue, internal bleeding*, lumps*
Less than 1%	Sore throat, vomiting, abdominal pain, muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue, bleeding*, hematoma* Heat, induration, hypoesthesia, etc.
Frequency unknown	Numbness, fainting, limb pain, etc.

What the HPV vaccine protects against

The HPV vaccine prevents infection with HPV types that cause cancer.
Specifically, the 9-valent vaccine covers about 90% of the types that cause cervical cancer.

In a Japanese study, the rate of high-grade dysplasia (CIN2-3/AIS) caused by HPV types 16/18 was 0% in women vaccinated between the ages of 12 and 15.
On the other hand, 47% of unvaccinated individuals tested positive.
This shows that the vaccine is almost completely closing the "gateway to cancer."

Why is it necessary from age 12?

The average age for sexual intercourse is around 18, but some people actually start earlier.
And then,Vaccines are most effective when administered “before infection.”。

• Children under 15 have the best immune response.
• Completed with two doses, with little pain or burden.
• It takes about a year to achieve full immunity.
  For this reason, vaccination for elementary school 6th graders to junior high school students is the global standard.

Why boys need it too

HPV is not just a girl's problem.
Boys can also get penile cancer, anal cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer.
This also helps prevent transmission to your partner.

In many countries around the world, male vaccination has already become a regular vaccination.
In Japan, male vaccination was also approved in 2023 (optional vaccination).
If started before age 15, it will be completed in two doses, just like for girls.

Is there any point in starting sexual intercourse?

It has been scientifically shown that even with a history of sexual intercourse, vaccination is definitely better than not vaccinating.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is,
Unvaccinated women under 26 should be vaccinated regardless of their sexual history.clearly recommends.

The reason is,

• The possibility of being infected with all nine types of HPV is extremely low.
• High preventive efficacy can be achieved against types other than infection-induced types.
• There is a risk of new infections in a relationship with a new partner.
  That's why.

It is the same even with a history of childbirth.Preventive effects other than infection remain strong.。

Is the HPV vaccine "safe"?

Over 100 million people worldwide have received it, and its safety has been evaluated for over 15 years.
In the 2025 Cochrane Review (225 studies, over 132 million people),
No association with POTS, chronic fatigue syndrome, CRPS, premature ovarian failure, or infertility has been found.it has been concluded.
Severe side effects are extremely rare, and most main symptoms, such as pain, swelling, and redness at the injection site, improve within a few days.

To reduce the future of dying and leaving children behind

In Japan, among women who die from cervical cancer,A mother leaving on a trip, leaving her young child behindThere is.
Many of these are cancers that could have been prevented by the HPV vaccine.
Just know that there are cancers that can be prevented.
The HPV vaccine can protect you and your child from
“Sure, sure. That's the title of a book, right? Let me see... ”Surefire ways to avoid preventable sadness"between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.