Serious ? About HPV vaccine Melissa please chime in!

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.