GARDASIL®9 FOR YOUR CHILDREN
By giving your consent now to have your children vaccinated with GARDASIL®9, you can help protect them against certain HPV-related cancers and diseases in the future.
If your child is aged 9 or older, consider GETTING THEM VACCINATED with GARDASIL®9.
HPV prevention in children
Your child can get the virus at any point in his or her life while sexually active – which is why getting vaccinated early on in life is recommended. Vaccination with GARDASIL®9 helps prevent infection with the HPV types that cause most genital warts and HPV-related cancers. Talk to your healthcare professional today to find out if GARDASIL®9 is right for your child.
Give your consent to have your children vaccinated
Publicly funded vaccination programs offer GARDASIL®9 for free to students in schools across Canada.
Your child’s school will send home a consent form for you to sign and return, typically when they are in Grade 7. By providing your consent, your child can be vaccinated in school as part of the vaccination program with their peers.
Getting your children vaccinated before they are sexually active is best
GARDASIL®9 is the first and only vaccine that helps protect individuals against 9 HPV types that can lead to certain HPV-related cancers and diseases.
There are over 200 types of HPV, with about 40 different types that infect the genital tract. Most people who have an HPV infection do not have any symptoms and most infections will go away without treatment. Genital warts are often the only visible sign that a person is infected. However, in some people, HPV infections can lead to cervical, anal, vaginal or vulvar, and certain head and neck cancers, such as throat and back of mouth cancers.
Many low-risk HPV types will clear up on their own, but low-risk doesn’t mean no risk. Sometimes the virus stays hidden and reactivates later in life to cause genital warts. Persistent HPV infection can lead to:
How to help reduce their risk
HPV vaccination is one of the top ways to help protect your child against certain HPV-related cancers and diseases in the future.
GARDASIL®9 can be administered at the same time as the COVID-19 or flu vaccine.
Did you know that GARDASIL®9 can be administered at the same time as the COVID-19 or flu vaccine? If you’d like to get your child vaccinated outside of their school program and they are not eligible for the provincial immunization program, many private insurance plans reimburse some or all of the cost of GARDASIL®9. You can begin the process by connecting with a virtual healthcare provider and finding a vaccination site near you.
Help protect your child against certain HPV-related cancers and diseases
Find out how your child can get the GARDASIL®9 vaccine today and learn about free HPV vaccination school programs in your child’s province!
If you’d like to get your child vaccinated outside of their school program and they are not eligible for the provincial immunization program, many private insurance plans reimburse some or all of the cost of GARDASIL®9. You can begin the process by connecting with a virtual healthcare provider or finding a vaccination site near you.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. GARDASIL®9 can be administered in individuals ages 9 to 45, to help protect against infection caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 and the following diseases caused by HPV:
- Certain head and neck cancers, such as throat and back of mouth cancers caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. GARDASIL®9 has been issued market authorization with conditions for this indication pending the results of trials to verify its clinical benefit
- Anal cancer caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58
- Genital warts caused by types 6 and 11
- Abnormal and precancerous anal lesions caused by types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58
For more information about GARDASIL®9, talk to your healthcare professional.
Your child can get the virus at any point in their life once they are sexually active – which is why getting vaccinated before they are sexually active is recommended. All it takes is 1 infected partner to be infected. Vaccination with GARDASIL®9 helps prevent infection with the HPV types that cause most genital warts and certain HPV-related cancers.
For more information about GARDASIL®9, talk to your healthcare professional.
Using a condom is not a guarantee for complete protection against HPV, because they only protect the area they cover. HPV can still be contracted through skin-to-skin contact beyond the area the condom is covering. Using condoms may reduce the risk of getting HPV, but it is highly contagious, and condoms do not provide full protection. Your child can get infected just by skin-to-skin or oral contact with the genital area, and without having intercourse.
That said, using a condom is a great way to reduce the risk of HPV infection, not to mention an excellent way for your child to protect themself against other sexually transmitted infections.
For more information about GARDASIL®9, talk to your healthcare professional.
Have additional questions? Check out our FAQ page.
Safety Information
GARDASIL®9 is a vaccine indicated for individuals 9 through 45 years of age for the prevention of infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 and the following diseases associated with the HPV types included in the vaccine: certain head and neck cancers, such as throat and back of mouth cancers, caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. GARDASIL®9 has been approved with conditions. This means it has passed Health Canada’s review and can be bought and sold in Canada, but the manufacturer has agreed to complete more studies to make sure the vaccine works the way it should. For more information, talk to your healthcare professional.
GARDASIL®9 is also indicated for individuals 9 through 45 years of age for the prevention of infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 and the following diseases associated with the HPV types included in the vaccine: cervical, vulvar, vaginal and anal cancer caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58; genital warts (condyloma acuminata) caused by HPV types 6 and 11; abnormal and precancerous cervical lesions (changes in cells of the cervix that have a risk of turning into cancer) as found in a Pap test caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58; abnormal and precancerous vaginal, vulvar (outside of the female genital area) and anal lesions caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58.
GARDASIL®9 does not protect the person getting the vaccine from a disease that is caused by other types of HPV, other viruses, or bacteria, and from HPV types that he/she may already have; but most people do not have all types contained in the vaccine. GARDASIL®9 does not treat HPV infection, cancers and diseases, or prevent its complications. GARDASIL®9 may not fully protect each person who gets it. GARDASIL®9 does not remove the need for screening for cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, and certain head and neck cancers, such as throat and back of mouth cancers; women should still get routine cervical cancer screening. GARDASIL®9 is not recommended for use in pregnant women and should only be used during pregnancy if a doctor or healthcare professional decides it is clearly needed. Women who become pregnant before completion of the vaccine series should complete their vaccination schedule after childbirth. If you are breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or healthcare professional. GARDASIL®9 may cause some side effects and allergic reactions. The most common side effects seen are pain, swelling, redness, itching, bruising, bleeding, a lump where the shot is given, headache, fever, nausea, dizziness, tiredness, diarrhea, abdominal pain and sore throat. Fainting can happen after getting an HPV vaccine. Signs of an allergic reaction may include difficulty breathing, wheezing (bronchospasm), hives and rash. This is not a complete list of side effects; for any unexpected effects while taking GARDASIL®9, contact your doctor or pharmacist. Contact your doctor or healthcare professional to determine if GARDASIL®9 is an appropriate option for you.
Information about GARDASIL®9 is provided in the Product Monograph and Consumer Information, available here.
HPV=human papillomavirus.
