HPV Vaccination in Kota Kinabalu

中文摘要在文末

HPV — human papillomavirus — is a very common virus. Most sexually active people encounter it at some point, and in most cases the body clears it without anything happening.

The problem is the minority of cases that persist. Certain high-risk types, if an infection doesn't clear, can cause cellular changes over many years that eventually lead to cervical cancer. Other types cause genital warts. In Malaysia, cervical cancer is among the more common cancers affecting women.

The vaccine prevents infection with the types responsible for most of that disease. It's preventive — it works before exposure, not after — which is why it's given young.

What we use

We use Gardasil-9, which protects against nine HPV types: two that cause the majority of genital warts, and seven high-risk types responsible for the large majority of cervical cancers.

This is the same vaccine used in most national programmes internationally.

The free school programme

Malaysia has run a national HPV immunisation programme since 2010, delivering the vaccine free to schoolgirls through the school health service. It's been one of the country's more successful public health programmes.

An important change is happening. The programme has been shifting the target age from 13-year-old girls in Form One to 12-year-old girls in Year Six — moving it from secondary to primary school. The reasoning is to give protection earlier, in line with WHO recommendations, and to reduce doses missed because of school transitions or dropping out.

If your daughter is in that age range, check with her school health team or your nearest Klinik Kesihatan for the current arrangements. Programme details are set by the Ministry of Health and can change, and the school programme is free — there's no reason to pay privately for something your daughter is already entitled to.

We're not a substitute for that programme. We're for the people it doesn't reach.

Who we vaccinate

Girls and women who missed the school programme, for whatever reason. This is a significant group — around 225,000 girls missed doses or had incomplete courses during the school closures of 2020 and 2021, and many of them are now in their late teens and twenties. If that was you, you can still be vaccinated.

Adults outside the programme age range. We don't apply a strict upper age limit. Whether it makes sense for you personally depends on your circumstances, and that's a conversation rather than a rule — there's a separate article on this.

Boys and men. HPV isn't only a women's issue. It causes genital warts in both sexes and is implicated in other cancers. Most of our HPV patients are female, but we vaccinate males too and are happy to discuss it.

Anyone who wants to discuss it. Including if you end up deciding not to proceed.

We don't run a formal catch-up programme, but if you need catch-up doses, we can do that.

The schedule

Two schedules, depending on age at the first dose:

Starting under 15: two doses, several months apart.

Starting at 15 or older: three doses over about six months.

The reason younger people need fewer doses is that the immune response at that age is stronger — one of several reasons the vaccine is given early.

If you've had some doses previously and never finished, bring whatever record you have. You usually don't need to start again from the beginning.

What to expect

The most common effects are what you'd expect from any injection: soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site, sometimes mild fever, headache or tiredness for a day or two.

One thing worth mentioning specifically: fainting after vaccination is more common in adolescents than in adults, with any injection. It's not dangerous and it's not a reaction to the vaccine itself — it's a response to the injection. We'll ask you or your child to stay seated for a short period afterwards, which is standard practice.

Serious allergic reactions are very rare. We'll ask about allergies before proceeding, and we're equipped to manage a reaction if one occurs.

The one thing we most want you to know

Vaccination does not remove the need for cervical screening.

This is the most important misconception in this area, and it's dangerous, because a woman who believes she's fully protected may skip screening for years.

Gardasil-9 covers nine HPV types — not all of them. And it prevents new infection; it does nothing about exposure that already happened before vaccination.

So vaccinated women still need screening, on the same schedule as everyone else. We don't provide cervical screening at this clinic — we'll direct you to where you can get it, and there's a full article on what screening you should be having and when.

We'd rather say that plainly than have you leave here thinking one injection covered everything.

Cost, honestly

The school programme is free for eligible girls. Private vaccination is not, and Gardasil-9 is not a cheap vaccine — the multi-dose course means the total is a real consideration for most families.

We think it's worth it where it's clinically appropriate. But we'd rather you knew the cost upfront than found out partway through a course, so ask when you enquire and we'll be straightforward about it.

If cost is the barrier, say so. It's better to have that conversation than to quietly decide against something you'd otherwise want.

Booking

WhatsApp 017-234 7328 or come in. Klinik Dr Tan, Lot 27, Ground Floor, Block D, Lintas Square, Kota Kinabalu. Appointments preferred.

Bring: any vaccination records you have, particularly if you've had previous doses. For a minor, a parent or guardian needs to attend — consent is theirs, and we'll go through everything with you before anything is given.

We're happy to answer questions without any expectation that you'll proceed. If you want to think about it and come back, that's completely reasonable.

Book a consultation with Dr. Tan — Book Online or WhatsApp 017-234 7328.

简要说明

亚庇 Lintas Square 的 Klinik Dr Tan 提供 HPV 疫苗接种。

关于 HPV：人类乳突病毒非常常见，多数性活跃的人都曾接触过，而多数情况下身体会自行清除。问题在于少数持续感染的情况——某些高危型别若未被清除，多年后可能造成细胞变化并导致子宫颈癌；另一些型别则造成生殖器疣。在马来西亚，子宫颈癌是女性较常见的癌症之一。

疫苗是预防性的——在接触之前才有效，所以要趁年轻接种。

我们使用 Gardasil-9，涵盖九种 HPV 型别：两种造成多数生殖器疣的型别，以及七种造成大部分子宫颈癌的高危型别。

政府学校免费计划：马来西亚自 2010 年起为女学生免费接种。重要变动：接种对象正从中一（13岁）转为小六（12岁），从中学移到小学，目的是更早提供保护（符合世卫建议）并减少因升学或辍学而漏打的情况。如果你女儿在这个年龄，请向学校卫生团队或就近的 Klinik Kesihatan 查询目前安排。学校计划是免费的，没有理由自费去打她本来就有资格获得的疫苗。

我们的对象是学校计划没有涵盖到的人：

• 错过学校计划的女性——这是一个不小的群体：2020 至 2021 年学校关闭期间，约有 22.5 万名女生漏打或未完成疗程，她们现在多在十几二十岁。你仍然可以接种。

• 超过计划年龄的成人——我们不设严格年龄上限。是否适合你要看个人情况，另有专文讨论。

• 男性——HPV 不只是女性的议题，它在两性都造成生殖器疣，也与其他癌症有关。我们的 HPV 病人以女性居多，但男性同样可以接种。

我们不设正式的补种计划，但若你需要补打，我们可以处理。

接种时程：15 岁以前开始为两剂（相隔数月）；15 岁或以后开始为三剂（约六个月内完成）。年轻族群剂数较少，是因为该年龄的免疫反应较强。若你以前打过但没完成，请带上任何记录，通常不需要从头开始。

可能反应：注射部位酸痛、红肿，有时轻微发烧、头痛或疲倦一两天。特别一提：青少年在打针后比成人更容易晕针——这不危险，也不是对疫苗本身的反应，而是对注射的反应。我们会请你或孩子接种后先坐一会儿，这是标准做法。严重过敏极为罕见。

我们最希望你知道的一件事：接种疫苗不能取代子宫颈筛检。

这是这个领域最危险的误解。Gardasil-9 涵盖九种型别，不是全部；而且它预防的是新的感染，对接种之前已经发生的接触无能为力。接种过的女性仍然需要按一般时程接受筛检。

本诊所不提供子宫颈筛检——我们会告诉你可以去哪里做，另有专文说明该做什么筛检、多久一次。我们宁可讲清楚，也不希望你以为打一针就全部涵盖了。

费用：学校计划对符合资格的女生免费。自费接种则不便宜，Gardasil-9 加上多剂疗程，总额对多数家庭是实际考量。我们认为在临床上适合的情况下值得，但希望你事先知道费用，请询问，我们会据实相告。如果费用是障碍，请直接说。

预约：WhatsApp 017-234 7328。Klinik Dr Tan，Lot 27, Ground Floor, Block D, Lintas Square, Kota Kinabalu。请带上任何接种记录。未成年人须由家长或监护人陪同，同意权在家长，我们会在接种前详细说明。

欢迎只是来询问，不必有一定要接种的压力。

本文为一般资讯，非个人化医疗建议。 国家计划细节由卫生部制定并可能变动，请向学校卫生团队或 Klinik Kesihatan 确认最新安排。

预约陈医生 — 在线预约 或通过 WhatsApp 联系 017-234 7328