Menactra

Menactra is a vaccine to prevent meningococcal disease which is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis in the United States.  About 2,600 people get this disease every year in the USA, and 10-15% of these people die in spite of treatment. Of those who live, 11-19% lose their arm or leg, become deaf, have problems with their nervous system, become mentally retarded, or suffer seizures or strokes.

Menactra is recommended for anyone from 11 to 55 years of age.  A single dose of menactra is recommended for all children at their 11-12 year routine visit in order to prevent this disease.  Adolescents entering college dormitories, military recruits, or anyone about to congregate in large groups of people should also be vaccinated.

We currently have a limited supply of Menactra (Meningococcal) available.  If you meet this age guideline and need Menactra vaccine, please call your doctor's office for an appointment. 

Gardasil

In early June of 2006, the FDA approved the first vaccine developed to prevent complications associated with some types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccine, called Gardasil, is approved for use in females 9-26 years of age.

HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 6.2 million Americans become infected with genital HPV each year and that over half of all sexually active men and women become infected at some time in their lives. On average, there are 9,710 new cases of cervical cancer and 3,700 deaths attributed to it in the United States each year. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women; and is estimated to cause over 470,000 new cases and 233,000 deaths each year.

For most women, the body's own defense system will clear the virus and infected women do not develop related health problems. However, some HPV types can cause abnormal cells on the lining of the cervix that years later can turn into cancer. Other HPV types can cause genital warts. The vaccine is effective against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause approximately 70 percent of cervical cancers and against HPV types 6 and 11, which cause approximately 90 percent of genital warts.

Go to http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm to  learn more about Gardasil.  For more information about HPV or Gardasil, please contact your health care provider.