Free HPV vaccinations provided by DeKalb Board of Health will be available at Stamps Health Services (SHS) in Room 230 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following dates. No appointments needed. Vaccinations are for ages up to  age 26, male and female.

• Tuesday, September 11
• Wednesday, September 12
• Thursday, September 13

SHS will offer the initial human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil, free of charge to students, faculty, and staff.  HPV vaccinations are recommended for ages up to age 26. Vaccinations will be provided to students, faculty, and staff on a walk-in basis only (no appointments needed). HPV vaccination occurs in a three dose series. This is the first of three vaccination clinics SHS is offering the Georgia Tech community. Follow-up vaccinations will be available at SHS later in the year (November 2012 and April 2013) for $15 per dose.

The purpose of the HPV vaccine (Gardasil) is to prevent genital warts and cervical cancer. The vaccine is effective against two types of HPV in males (types 6 and 11) and four types of HPV in females (types 6, 11, 16, and 18). Types 6 and 11 cause 90% of cases of genital warts and types 16 and 18 cause 75% of cases of cervical cancer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that at least 50% of sexually active men and women will acquire genital HPV at some point in their lives. Most of these people do not have symptoms, and do not know that they have it. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI).

For more information, please visit www.preventhpv.gatech.edu.