HPV vaccine is available at Keesler Published March 14, 2007 81st Medical Group KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Human papillomavirus vaccine is now available in the Keesler Medical Center immunization clinic. All Tricare beneficiaries are eligible to receive the vaccine. Tech. Sgt. Loretta Scott, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the clinic, said the vaccine is only recommended for females ages 9-26. Routine vaccination is recommended for all girls ages 11-12; however, it may be given to girls as young as 9. Pregnant women shouldn't get the vaccine, according to Sergeant Scott. The sergeant explained genital human papillomavirus is the most common sexually- transmitted virus in the United States. There are about 40 types of HPV. This virus has affected about 20 million people in the U.S. so far and about 6.2 million more get infected each year. The new vaccine targets the HPV virus. It's an inactivated vaccine which protects against four major types of HPV. These include two types that cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer and two types that cause about 90 percent of genital warts. Sergeant Scott noted HPV vaccine can prevent most genital warts and most cases of cervical cancer. Protection from HPV vaccine is expected to be long-lasting; however, it's important that vaccinated women still receive cervical cancer screening because the vaccine doesn't protect against all HPV types that cause cervical cancer. The clinic is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays. It's closed weekends, holidays and the second Thursday of every month. For more information on HPV, visit the Centers for Disease Control Web site, http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv and http://www.cdc.gov/nip.