Need a shot for HPV or hepatitis A and B? Whatcom Community College hosting free clinic

Free HPV vaccines will be available to Whatcom County residents ages 19 to 26 during a clinic May 17 at Whatcom Community College.

The clinic is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. in rooms 107 and 108 of Syre Student Center, 235 W. Kellogg Road.

The college's nursing students are offering the vaccines through a partnership with the Whatcom County Health Department, according to a college statement.

Adults within the age range and who are uninsured – or underinsured – are eligible to get the vaccine free, WCC said. No appointments are necessary, but participants should plan to spend about 30 minutes registering and getting the shot.

A grant from the Group Health Foundation helped fund the vaccines, the college said.

HPV, or human papillomavirus, can lead to cancer, and is most common in teens or people in their early 20s, the college said. Men and women can get the virus and spread it to others without realizing it.

HPV vaccines come in three doses, with the second given a month after the first, and the third given six months after the first, said Cindy Hollinsworth, manager of communicable diseases at the county health department. If patients haven’t had previous doses, clinic staff will refer them to doctors to get the remaining doses, Hollinsworth said.

This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Need a shot for HPV or hepatitis A and B? Whatcom Community College hosting free clinic."