Laura Brennan, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine advocate and cervical cancer casualty, was diagnosed with HPV-16-associated cervical cancer at age 24. In 2018, U.S. health officials extended the allowable age for the HPV vaccine to 45.
Determine which patients will have the greatest chance of protection from the Gardasil vaccine, which prevents infections of nine strains of HPV including HPV-16 and HPV-18 and five additional types of cancer-causing HPV as well as strains HPV-6 and HPV-11 that cause genital warts. Recall that vaccines train the body’s immune system to recognize a particular infection (see figure).
Now, rank the following female patients, starting with the female that would be protected against the greatest number of HPV strains in the future down to the female that would receive protection against the fewest strains.
1. Female patient aged 12: This patient would be protected against HPV strains 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58, as well as potential future strains that may be prevented by cross-protection.
2. Female patient aged 24: This patient would be protected against HPV strains 6, 11, 16, and 18, as well as potential future strains that may be prevented by cross-protection.
3. Female patient aged 45: This patient would also be protected against HPV strains 6, 11, 16, and 18, but may have already been exposed to a wider range of HPV strains that the vaccine does not protect against.