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diverse group of preteen kids wearing backpacks in front of a school

HPV Vaccination Van

five women from the Community Outreach & Engagement team stand in front of the Hollings Mobile Vaccination Unit

Children in certain South Carolina counties are more likely to develop human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancers as they grow up. That's why MUSC Hollings Cancer Center launched a mobile health van that travels the state with an HPV health educator and nurse on board to make it easier for children and young adults to take advantage of this important cancer prevention resource.

The HPV van furthers Hollings’ efforts to reduce the cancer burden in South Carolina by providing a critical cancer prevention tool to populations who may not have been able to access it before. Every year in the United States, HPV causes more than 35,000 cases of cancer in men and women, and the HPV vaccine can prevent about 90% of these cases from ever occurring.

For more information about the HPV van, please contact Melanie Slan at slan@musc.edu or 843-876-2427.

Learn More About HPV
“The HPV vaccine helps to prevent six cancer types that are associated with the human papillomavirus. As the only NCI-designated cancer center in South Carolina, Hollings has a responsibility to serve all people in the state, regardless of where they may live.”
— Dr. Marvella Ford, Associate Director of Population Science and Community Outreach and Engagement

Schedule the van

If you would like to have the van come to a school or event in your community, please fill out the form below and our staff will be in touch. You can also use this form to request a town hall event.

With area code. No dashes.


Upcoming events

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Frequently asked questions

The safety of HPV vaccination was tested in thousands of volunteers before the vaccines were approved. Over the last decade, more than 120 million doses have been distributed in the United States. The HPV vaccine has been carefully studied and has been shown to be safe, effective, and long-lasting.

The most common side effects after HPV vaccination are mild and include pain in the arm where the shot was given, fever, dizziness, and nausea. No serious side effects have been linked to HPV vaccination since the vaccine was introduced in the U.S.

HPV is so common that almost everyone will be infected at some point in their lives. Most parents in South Carolina choose the HPV vaccine for their children. Almost 60% of teens in our state receive the first dose. The HPV vaccine prevents six cancers and other diseases that can develop in both females and males as they get older.

Ongoing studies show that the HPV vaccination works very well. Since becoming available in 2006, this vaccine has already decreased HPV infection, genital warts, and precancers in young people.

People between the ages of 9 and 45 are eligible for the HPV vaccine.

Please submit your request using the form in the section above or contact Melanie Slan at slan@musc.edu or 843-876-2427.

Please review and complete the following forms for yourself and/or your child:

HPV Vaccination Van Information Sheet (PDF)

HPV Vaccination Van Consent for Treatment (PDF)

HPV Vaccination Van Authorization to Disclose Protected Health Information (PDF)

HPV Vaccination Van Consent for Release of Education Records & Information (PDF)

HPV Vaccination Van Patient Demographic Form (PDF)

Hollings works with communities and school districts to offer town hall events that give parents and students an opportunity to get their questions about the HPV vaccine answered by experts. The HPV vaccination van will then be scheduled to come out and provide HPV vaccinations at a date following the town hall. For more information, contact Melanie Slan at slan@musc.edu or 843-876-2427 or submit a request using the form in the section above.

In addition to HPV vaccines, the staff on the van can provide Tdap, meningitis, polio and Hepatitis A vaccines, as well as information on cancer prevention and awareness.

See our HPV vaccination page, what you need to know about the HPV vaccine and frequently asked questions. The CDC also offers lots of HPV information.