Moms Resist HPV Vaccine for Preteens

[Mark Latimour]

Originally Posted by ABC News

Moms Resist HPV Vaccine for Preteens
Study Shows Mothers are Still Afraid Vaccination will Encourage Sexual Activity

New research shows that only half of American mothers intend to have their teenaged daughters vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) if the girls are under the age of 13, despite government guidelines that suggest the opposite.

HPV, which is sexually transmitted, is the primary cause of cervical cancer. The first vaccine against the virus, Gardasil, was approved in 2006. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends that 11- and 12-year-old girls be targeted for this vaccine, as most girls of this age are not yet sexually active, have not yet been exposed to HPV, and will therefore achieve maximum protection.

However, this study suggests that many mothers aren't willing to follow those recommendations.

"Mothers had a lower intention to vaccinate [younger] daughters," said study author Dr. Jessica Kahn, an associate professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "This presents a challenge, and provides us with an opportunity to educate mothers about the importance of vaccinating girls under 13 years of age because the vaccine will have a greater health impact if given before 13."

...

According to one estimate, giving the vaccine universally would eliminate about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. Gardasil protects against most, but not all, types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.

This study is the first national survey of its kind and also the first to measure attitudes towards the vaccine since it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006.

Forty-nine percent of almost 10,000 respondents intended to vaccinate a daughter if she were 9 to 12 years old; 68 percent intended to vaccinate if the daughter was 13 to 15 years old; and 86 percent said they would vaccinate if the daughter was 16 to 18 years of age.

DOes this not seem to be people sticking their head in the sand at the risk of their own childrens health?

If you conceed that the vaccine is good (ie 86% would give it between 16 to 18) and the recommendation is that you get better protection if you take it earlier (11 to 12), then why are people so happy to risk the future health of their children and opt to have it later. I just can't understand the logic here!

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I think it is because people seem to think it will promote under age/irresponsible sex.

Not that it is a particularly valid reason to stop someone having a vaccination!

[JMX]

This kind of thing happens (for different reasons) with "normal" vaccinations, too.
We had a number of measles cases here because some people don't let their babies be vaccinated because of some rumors, some religious dogma, laziness or thoughtlessness.
When we brought our girl to day care the first time (4 months old), the caretaker phoned us the day after that one of the two-year-olds boys in that group apparently had pertussis. Luckily, she already was vacinated but that boy also put his unborn brother at risk since he could've infected his mother who was two weeks from giving birth. So vaccinate your kids!

[Nikoubis]

Haven't you folks ever seen the X-Files? Vaccinations are EVIL!

[peterbright]

Eventually, this will be accepted & we will have far less cervical cancer. Unfortunately, it's going to take awhile.

[Happynoj]

I don't get this. Their kids will be having sex one day. Doing this can only help them when they do!

[i_got_a_mohawk]

It is probably the same people who were against the MMR as people thought it might cause autism in some cases (and clearly your kid dying from Measels, Mumps or Rubela isnt that important!),
and those people that were against the Polio vaccinations because the vaccination can give you Polio (pathogen relapses once in ever ~4 million injections, hardly a major risk!)

Like you say, probably just ultra conservative.

[bmc]

There is a big unknown about this. Nobody know the long term impact of these drugs. They don't know if it will remain effective in fifteen years or the side effects they may cause. Yes, of course, the drug manufacturers will have done substantial testing.

But nobody knows the long term issues associated with this.

[txbasschik]

I have a year and a half to think about it.

I have some concerns about the vaccine itself, being such a new thing, and any possible future consequences to her health. I'm not someone who thinks the vaccine will cause my daughter to have sex too young, but I am approaching this vaccine with a healthy dose of caution, and will do my reading before I take my little girl for her shot.

Cherie

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by bmc

There is a big unknown about this. Nobody know the long term impact of these drugs. They don't know if it will remain effective in fifteen years or the side effects they may cause. Yes, of course, the drug manufacturers will have done substantial testing.

But nobody knows the long term issues associated with this.

Those are my main concerns about the vaccine. Unknown future consequences.

Cherie

[bmc]

Originally Posted by txbasschik

I have a year and a half to think about it.

I have some concerns about the vaccine itself, being such a new thing, and any possible future consequences to her health. I'm not someone who thinks the vaccine will cause my daughter to have sex too young, but I am approaching this vaccine with a healthy dose of caution, and will do my reading before I take my little girl for her shot.

Cherie

I share your concerns. My two daughters of 18 and 20 have discussed this with us as well.

Last month, I stopped taking medication for a medical disorder I did not have. A trip to an endocrinologist to ask about the medication and it's side effects (which the family doctor and packaging said did not exist) ended up with blood tests confirming no such disorder existed in my body.

Think twice about medication folks and research it well before taking it at face value.

[playinpearls]

Vaccinations are a touchy subject. Being that i have a son coming in june my wife and I have been researching this subject among others in preparation for our baby. There are a lot of "cloudy" opinions about vacs, mostly because it has been found that long term effects haven't been discovered yet, and nobody knows if this is going to be good for society, or if we are gonna end up like "legend" where some vac turns into a virus and kills everybody. It is being studied to find out if early vacs of the 80's are causing allergies and athsma in teenagers and young adults of today. on top of that, the amount of vaccinations that are un-needed that they give to babies "just because" some people have aids or hepetitus is rediculous. when you really get into how hospitals have become more business like instead just wanting to help people, its kinda scary how pushy they are to get those meds inside of you to make their extra buck.

Has anyone ever thought about that fact that ALL doctors are adament about NEVER taking ANY drugs or alcohol while you are pregnant, but as soon as you get into the hospital to have your baby, they are ready to pump you full of every med that they have in their pharmacy? Not really on topic, but some of this stuff really pisses me off...

as far as HPV, i would definetly wait a couple of years before pumping something into my daughter without knowing the side effects and researching other experiences first...i'm not opposed to it it it were good though...

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by bmc

I share your concerns. My two daughters of 18 and 20 have discussed this with us as well.

Last month, I stopped taking medication for a medical disorder I did not have. A trip to an endocrinologist to ask about the medication and it's side effects (which the family doctor and packaging said did not exist) ended up with blood tests confirming no such disorder existed in my body.

Think twice about medication folks and research it well before taking it at face value.

Absolutely!!! With *any* drug! Inappropriate drug presecription, and over-prescription, is a real problem. And with new drugs, well, these drug companies spend a lot of money on R&D, which means they've got to get the drug on the market to make their money back. I *always* approach new drugs with caution.

I sure don't want to give my young daughter a new vaccine without learning everything I can about it. I'm glad Texas did not make the vaccine mandatory. I want that choice left up to me, not the state. I understand mandatory vaccine for highly contagious disease, but cervical cancer is something that runs in families, and/or can be caused/aggravated by certain lifestyles. So, I don't think a vaccine for it should be mandatory, and my state agrees.

Cherie

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by playinpearls

Vaccinations are a touchy subject. Being that i have a son coming in june my wife and I have been researching this subject among others in preparation for our baby. There are a lot of "cloudy" opinions about vacs, mostly because it has been found that long term effects haven't been discovered yet, and nobody knows if this is going to be good for society, or if we are gonna end up like "legend" where some vac turns into a virus and kills everybody. It is being studied to find out if early vacs of the 80's are causing allergies and athsma in teenagers and young adults of today. on top of that, the amount of vaccinations that are un-needed that they give to babies "just because" some people have aids or hepetitus is rediculous. when you really get into how hospitals have become more business like instead just wanting to help people, its kinda scary how pushy they are to get those meds inside of you to make their extra buck.

Has anyone ever thought about that fact that ALL doctors are adament about NEVER taking ANY drugs or alcohol while you are pregnant, but as soon as you get into the hospital to have your baby, they are ready to pump you full of every med that they have in their pharmacy? Not really on topic, but some of this stuff really pisses me off...

There is a big difference between taking medications etc during a pregnancy while the child is developing and over the last few hours when it is coming out.

And the long term effects of vaccination? Millions of people ARENT dying because of diseases.

Also, I don't know what it is like in the states, but we dont get the many vaccinations over here. Off the top of my head there is MMR when you are really young, sometimes a booster for that. There is also tetanus vaccinations spread out while you are younger. And the polio and TB vaccinations when you are a teenager. All of the things vaccinated against were (and still are) deadly.

Also, wide spead vaccination is good because, even though it wont work on everyone, you will attain 'herd immunity', so people who are susceptable to the infections are less likely to bump into each other and thus transmit it.

Vaccinations are only a touchy subject because people don't understand what they are and how they work. People also seem to like to pick at small problems without realising the greater benifit overall.

While hygiene is also a concern + other factors involved. Compare the US to africa in terms of mortality rates. What is the highest killer in Africa? Infectious disease. Last time I looked it accounted for ~65% of all deaths. Now look at the US, infectious disease accounts for less than 10% of all deaths.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by txbasschik

And with new drugs, well, these drug companies spend a lot of money on R&D, which means they've got to get the drug on the market to make their money back. I *always* approach new drugs with caution.

This is true, but you cannot blame the drug companies for that. The amount of money that is spent on projects which don't even hit the market is astronomical. And when a drug company finally gets a product on the market, they tend to only have 5-6 years left of the patent (it gets patented in the very early stages).

Due to all the red tape the "new" drugs we see coming out have actually been around for 10+ years.


Also remember that there is a big difference between a drug you take regularly and a vaccination, a vaccination is just to cause an immunological response so your immune system has a memory of the pathogen so it can destroy it quickly if it comes into contact with it again.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

What about preteen boys? Does the vaccine work for them? If so, why aren't we talking about that as well? It takes two to tango.

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

This is true, but you cannot blame the drug companies for that. The amount of money that is spent on projects which don't even hit the market is astronomical. And when a drug company finally gets a product on the market, they tend to only have 5-6 years left of the patent (it gets patented in the very early stages).

Due to all the red tape the "new" drugs we see coming out have actually been around for 10+ years.


Also remember that there is a big difference between a drug you take regularly and a vaccination, a vaccination is just to cause an immunological response so your immune system has a memory of the pathogen so it can destroy it quickly if it comes into contact with it again.

I don't *blame* them, but when the bottom line is money, I want to approach a product like a new drug with caution. Drug companies give doctors many incentives to prescribe their drugs, and not all doctors are completely ethical.

(Says the woman whose kids' pediatrician ran off and went into hiding due to lawsuits, taking all records, including her daughter's vaccine record, with him, and whose first gyno almost killed her during a c-section because another patient was ready to deliver, and he wasn't going to get the fee because of me, and had the *gall* to be *pissed* about it during my c-section!)

I'm just not that trusting of the medical establishment in my country.

Since cervical cancer is not readily contagious, I think that particular vaccine should be an *option*, not mandatory.

Cherie

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

What about preteen boys? Does the vaccine work for them? If so, why aren't we talking about that as well? It takes two to tango.

To what end? Boys don't have a cervix, and they don't cause the cancer. Heredity plus lifestyle causes that cancer (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Cherire

[playinpearls]

boys can transmit the disease, but it doesn't affect them....the vac isn't made for them...

[jazzy grille]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

What about preteen boys? Does the vaccine work for them? If so, why aren't we talking about that as well? It takes two to tango.

I say we just put it in the water supply to be safe.