Gardasil for boys

Why wouldn't you give your child the vaccine?

My child chose to be vaccinated before I would have had her get the vaccine. All it took was learning about it and she said she wanted it. It was a no brainer for her at age 11. All she needed to learn was that it offered protection against a type of cancer. I do think she could have waited and now that she is 17, I can definitely say she could have waited a few years, but it doesn't matter. You can't go back into time. As already mentioned, you want this on board BEFORE the onset of any sexual activity. So waiting until the later teens years will be too late for some.

The anti-vaccination movement in the US has grown stronger over the years and it can be confusing to do your own research as a result. I find very few actual reasons not to vaccinate for this one.

And, btw, I personally am someone who has had moderate to severe immunization reactions over the years to many vaccines. I'd say it hasn't stopped me but that is not entirely true. I have a fairly specific egg allergy so any vaccine derived from products incubated in eggs is an issue which means I did not get a flu vaccine for several years. As an asthmatic and cancer patient, it's no longer optional (ESP with so many people NOT getting vaccinated!), so I worked with an allergist to get it the last few years until the egg free version became available. I've also reacted to the DTP boosters, an unrelated reaction to my allergy and definitely related to the immunization. My child, on the other hand, has never had a reaction of any sort.

If a person has a reaction to a vaccine, it is important to understand the nature of the reaction, the nature of the vaccine and then make an educated decision if it has anything to do with any other vaccine. Often, that is not the case. And, one must of course balance the risks of a reaction vs the benefit of the vaccine. A fever can be treated with acetominophen. A local reaction is not a contraindication to repeat doses.

I admit I find these discussions tiring to a degree because of some of the usual comments. Moneymaker? This vaccine is a GAME CHANGER. It's incredible how quickly we forget history. Do you know that cervical cancer was a MAJOR cause of death from cancer for women before the Pap test was introduced in the 1950's? Deaths from cervical cancer have decreased tremendously since then... unlike any other cancer really. This is the final step to almost completely eliminate this form of cancer. It is STILL the second most common cause of cancer related death world wide. Of course, it's not just cervical cancer. Anal cancers, some rectal cancers, vaginal, vulvar and penile cancers as are mainly caused by certain strains of HPV.

If you've never been touched by an abnormal pap smear, never been touched by cancer in your life, I can understand the reticence. But who hasn't been touched by cancer and why in the world would you not protect your child while you have the chance?

So, yes.. I am biased in favor of this vaccine. I don't do gyn office practice any more, but please understand that this vaccine, if widely employed, will change the nature of gyn practices. I highly suspect that someday there will be a different schedule for those who have been vaccinated vs those who have not as far as cervical screening goes.

There are two issues at hand with this.

One is that people did not talk about cancer a generation or two ago. Women did not die from cervical cancer, the died from "female problems." As a result, family histories are skewed. Not that this is hereditary, but the knowledge that Grandma Franny really died from cervical cancer is not in the realm of awareness for many. Then, add that to the issue I already spoke about- the great decrease in cervical cancer within the last generation or two. These two issues make is so that people think it really isn't that important.

Would you vaccinate your kids to prevent breast cancer? Cervical cancer was once far more common than breast cancer yest breast cancer is the one that seems to strike the most fear. Much easier to remove a breast than to remove a cancer that has penetrated the cervix. The latter is inoperable for most and generally, a death sentence.

Yes, only a small percentage of people with HPV develop cancer. But that percentage is much higher with certain strains of HPV. The strains covered in the various available vaccines are the most virulent. It just so happens that by covering for these, you get some cross reactivity and you get coverage for some of the more benign forms that cause warts.

No question. I have written long posts about this in the past. My daughter chose to be vaccinated with Gardasil at a younger age than I had planned for her. But, when you have a parent with cancer and someone tells you that you can be vaccinated to prevent at least one form of cancer, you might just jump at the opportunity too.

When I read this sort of thing, I am reminded of how little we, as a culture, retain of our own history. We forget that prior to the widespread use of pap smears to screen for cervical cancer and eventually also pre-cancerous lesions, cervical cancer was the NUMBER ONE cause of death due to cancer in women. This was above the current number one, lung cancer, and the usual most often feared, breast cancer. It was once one of the very top causes of death among women of childbearing age. It wasn't all that long ago, but it was also an era when people often did not use the word "cancer" in public or even with relatives, especially a cancer of the female genital tract. The rate of cervical cancer was high enough back then (think 1950's and earlier) that any of us here are likely to have had at least one family member who died from it- maybe a grandmother, great grandmother, great aunt, cousin, etc.

One of my favorite arguments is that this is really all about doctor's making money. I find that one hilarious. Why the heck would an entire specialty (ob/gyn) embrace a vaccine that cuts down on money in our pockets? All those genital wart cases we treat, all those abnormal paps? Those are bread and butter procedures in this field. The screening for paps has already decreased. I guarantee that there will be different screening timelines in the future for the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

Just keep in mind that we cannot predict the onset of sexual activity and this vaccine is best given before that time.. and that doesn't mean before intercourse specifically. Remember that HPV is so very common. And, as someone else mentioned in this thread, I don't know any other healthcare providers personally who have not vaccinated their own children.

And yes, I am feisty today. I realize there are people here looking for important information and a helpful discussion. I am hungry, tired and have had this discussion before. I wish we could pull up old 2Peas posts so that I wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel.

Make your own decision, but realize that it will eventually become too late for your child to make this decision for themselves. Exposure to HPV is going to happen to the majority by the time they reach adulthood. This is THE most common STD around and most do not know they have ever had it. It shocks me that so many with cervical dysplasia do not even realize why they had dysplasia. Aside from inflammation, if you've ever had an abnormal pap, you've likely had HPV. A wart of any sort? HPV.

Why wouldn't you vaccinate for HPV?

The only reason I can think of is that you want to make sure your child gets the newest version that covers many more strains.

New? Polio vaccine was new once. Tetanus vaccine was new once. Rubella vaccine was new once.

I've said it before and will say it again. We WERE a spoiled generation. Most of us here grew up in an era where everyone got the recommended vaccinations. As a result, we don't know the measles or the mumps. We don't see deaf children from rubella or the measles. We don't see lives devastated from polio or measles encephalitis. Granted, not everyone who gets these illness will have the bad outcomes. But some will and it won't be because of "bad hygiene" (I've seen that on line) and it won't be because of previous medical issues. It will be bad luck.

Anyway, that's not the HPV issue. The issue is that HPV is THE most common sexually transmitted disease. Keep in mind that the majority will have been exposed to HPV by the time they graduate college.

Here's a link to the previous discussion Do you vaccinate for HPV?

There are some good things in that thread and some, well stupid things. Waiting until your child is 18 so they can decide for themselves is, well, naive. You need the vaccine on board before they have exposure. They don't need to have intercourse to be exposed. There's a nice post from someone on the increase of head and neck cancers which had decreased thanks to decreased tobacco usage. The cause of the increase? HPV. Rectal cancer? HPV. Cervical cancer.. you know that one.