How to Handle Your Shots Like a Champ - Part 3
One of the vaccines you'll be receiving is the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. It protects against cancer.
Here’s a great video from Australia where students your age tell you everything you need to know about the HPV vaccine.
Please note: In Canada, students get 2 doses of the HPV vaccine.
Did you like the video? Click on the questions below to review what you learned.
- What is HPV?
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HPV stands for human papillomavirus.
It is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. About 3 out of 4 (or 75% of) unvaccinated sexually active people will get HPV at some point in their lives. - Does HPV make people sick?
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Most of the time, HPV (human papillomavirus) doesn’t cause any problems and goes away on its own, but sometimes it doesn’t go away and can cause cancer over time. It can also cause genital warts.
- Why do preteens need the HPV vaccine?
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Preteens need the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine to protect them from HPV infections that can cause cancer later in life. HPV can cause cervical cancer, other types of genital cancer, and cancer of the mouth and throat. The vaccine also protects against most genital warts.
HPV can cause health problems. See if you can identify what these are with this activity.
- Why is the HPV vaccine given in grade six?
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You might be thinking, wait a minute, why is the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine given in grade six?
Here’s why:
- Preteens have a better immune response to the vaccine than older teens and adults. This means that preteens are better protected if exposed to the virus in the future.
- The vaccine works best when it's given before people are sexually active and exposed to HPV.
Also, the vaccine is not free forever, so getting it when it’s offered in grade 6 ensures preteens get the vaccine for free. - Is the HPV vaccine safe?
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Yes. Vaccines are very safe. Doctors and scientists study vaccines very well to make sure they are safe. Hundreds of millions of doses of the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine have been safely given worldwide.
Click your learning with this activity.
Let’s watch this video where preteens and teens who live in BC talk about the HPV vaccine.
All lessons & quizzes are free!
This was just one of the lessons in our How to Handle Your Shots Like A Champ section. There are over 500 lessons on Kids Boost Immunity just like this one on a variety of subjects. Each lesson includes a quiz and every time a student scores 80% or higher on a quiz, we will donate life-saving vaccines to UNICEF Canada. Sign up now!
