Malta is a small, island country in the Mediterranean Sea that lies south of the island of Sicily, Italy. Malta is an archipelago, but only the three largest islands of Malta, Gozo (GÄ§awdex) and Kemmuna (Comino) are inhabited.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against infection by certain strains of HPV. Human papillomavirus can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. HPV has also been linked to other kinds of cancers, including vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, mouth and throat cancers.
All vaccines protect against at least HPV 16 and 18 that cause the greatest risk of cervical cancer. It is estimated that they may prevent 70% of cervical cancer, 80% of anal cancer, 60% of vaginal cancer, 40% of vulvar cancer, and possibly some mouth cancer.