Did you vaccinate for HPV?

I did for my daughter, but said no several years before saying yes. I said no for my oldest son. I got a lot of push back from his doctor but ultimately the vaccine for males had just been approved and I didn't feel comfortable having him in the first group.

my son is an adult so it's a moot point for me. However, if it was available when he was younger I would have. I was dx with stage 2b cervical cancer in 2008. Six chemo treatments and six weeks of 5x week radiation, plus 3 high dose radiation treatments later I'm all for any prevention possible. my Pap smear one month before my dx was "clean".

I have a 14 yo DS and 17 yo DD. So far, we have not done it even though I am not usually against vaccinations.

Our pediatricians completely backed our decision to let our daughters choose. One said she was doing the same with her daughter, one said she caved to pressure and had her girls both vaccinated and one said she was on the fence and was thankful her girl was stil so young. All of them stated that this was not a no-brainer decision like the other vaccines they give.



Two of them voiced similar opinions about the chicken pox vaccine when it came out.

If I had a daughter, I would have had her vaccinated. I have a son, and I have so far not seen or heard any compelling reasons for having him vaccinated. The vaccine was originally for girls only. The initial reasoning for boys to be vaccinated was that not enough girls were receiving the vaccine. We discussed it with our Dr and he said (if I remember correctly- it was several years ago) that there was only a rare chance of a boy getting hpv related cancer.

Oldest did, youngest has started her series.  My gyn said this will put her out of business( kidding of course but she supports it).

I have 2 sons, ages 21 & 15.  I am pro vaccines, but have chosen not to have them vaccinated against HPV.  HPV is a STD.  It is only transmitted via sexual contact. 

Measles, mumps, chicken pox, etc. are viral infections.  Of course I want to protect them from contracting such diseases.  

If/when they choose to become sexually active my hope is that they will make responsible choices. 

I waited for them to get the chicken pox shot because I wanted more research available before I decided for them to get it. 

I'm not convinced that the HPV vaccine is safe/without risks. 

 

This is not because of the vaccine. This recommendation began before we would see the results of the vaccine on the target population in a large enough fashion. My point, we have already decreased the frequency with which pap smears are done in women without a history of HPV or abn paps. This will likely further impact those recommendations. The point is that there will be EVEN less of a need for paps in women who have been vaccinated.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

My oldest is twelve, and we have not yet decided. A friend of mine's son had an adverse reaction, which doesn't mean I will not have my kids get vaccinated (they have been vaccinated for everything else), but I want to do some basic research and consultation with immunologist friends first.

HPV can be transmitted through skin to skin contact, even with condom use. And as far as I know there is no way to test boys and men for HPV but they can be carriers. I can respect you wanting your boys to make safe decisions, but they could use a condon and still contract HPV and not ever know it. And possibly pass it on to another partner.

I am sorry but this sounds like urban myth, chain letter BS. 

I won't vaccinate mine with this one, and I especially wouldn't if my kids have reacted to vaccines already.  healthimpactnews.com/2014/gardasil-vaccine-one-more-girl-dead/

No, I have not had dd or ds vaccinated at this point in time.

I am another who is not anti-vaccine whatsoever, I even had my youngest two vaccinated against chicken pox, but there is something about this one that gives me pause and my gut reaction from the beginning has been not to.

I have not liked the big 'push' to vaccinate girls at a specific age, en masse at schools here. I do not like that they make an issue of the fact that the government will pay to vaccinate at that time, but if a parent chooses to delay and then requests the vaccine a year or two later, they will have to pay for it out of pocket. I think that that puts unfair pressure on lower income families and does not really given them a true 'choice'. We can afford to pay for it should we choose, but there are others who might not have the same option.

I admit that I am leery, despite approval from the medical field. Doctors are not infallible, and neither are drug companies. Merck is the same company that produced Vioxx (sp?) which was later recalled and deemed to possibly cause heart issues and I remember that there was some question about negative results and criticisms being swept under the table. And many doctors were on board with Thalidomide decades ago, and we all know that proved to be a disaster. 

It is not one of those vaccines like most childhood vaccines where it is impossible otherwise to avoid the disease, where the disease once contracted is inevitably a terrible thing, and where the vaccine 'will' protect against the disease. Something like the polio vaccine, for example. Most people have or have had HPV with no negative effects. Gardasil does not guarantee that someone will not get HPV or that they will not contract cancer. In that respect, it is different from other vaccines in that respect.

I would never try to convince anyone else that they 'shouldn't' vaccinate, nor do I think doing so is some terrible mistake that they will later regret. On many levels it seems to me that this vaccine could indeed be a potential lifesaver for some. It is possible that it is a miracle vaccination with no potential negative repercussions.

But my gut reaction from the beginning has been to be wary, and I just have not been comfortable yet with making the decision for my children to have them vaccinated.