There was an anonymous comment on my "Perry Sticks it to Young Girls" entry. Boy am I sorry I didn’t see this comment earlier. Apparently I need to check my own blog more often.
A quick review is in order. I had commented on Governor Perry using executive powers to force girls to be vaccinated for the human papilloma virus (HPV) before entering school. As most of you know, HPV is most commonly contracted through sexual contact. But read the full article if you want to know more. The comment that was left was…
“But have you studied the information on vaccine injuries to children? Adults too for that matter. Merck is considered one of the biggest culprits in the contamination of its vaccines. Please inform yourself before you support such a drastic approach to dealing with a potential problem for some girls.”
Posted by Anonymous | April 25, 2007 12:56 PM
First, the author apparently does not know me well because if he did he would know that I do research my subjects before I comment. (Quick side note - I suspect the author is a woman but I am using the literary “he”). On the rare occasion that I comment on a subject with out thinking it through, which includes doing a little research, I will always inform the audience that I “don’t know much about the subject, but on the surface…”
Admittedly his reason for disagreeing with the policy did not make it my originally list, but there is a reason for that. To withhold a vaccination from a child due to safety concerns about the vaccine itself is asinine. I am assuming that the author has never taken any medicine of any kind for the same reason. No aspirin, cold pills, polio vaccine, smallpox… etc. Now before the rest of you go off on me too, I realize that caution is needed for new vaccines, but the HPV vaccine has been tested extensively and has been used effectively for years. Unfortunately it does not protect for all forms of Cervical Cancer, but it does for some very common ones.
So not to go on a rant… (I know, I know), the answer to your question Mr. Anonymous, if that is your real name, is yes, I have considered it and I think I will keep taking medicine despite the risks and my child will be vaccinated (once it is approved in the States for boys). (Huh? Do some research.)
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Shedding Some Light On The New HPV Vaccine
I've been inundated with questions about the new HPV vaccine. Most e-mails and calls come from mothers of young girls who are confused about what to do with their daughters. It seems that the pediatricians have picked up the drug companies' baton and are out to immunize every young girl in sight.
Should you vaccinate or shouldn't you?
I know the CDC in conjunction with the American Cancer Society have been quite diligent about providing FAQs and other informational pamphlets on the topic of the HPV vaccine, its use and recommendations.
However complete and detailed these materials are, keep in mind the final decision is a personal decision and in the case of the HPV vaccine, it falls all in the lap of the parents.
As a parent and a physician I'd like to give you some insight into my own understanding and position on this issue. As a parent, my daughters are 22 and 29 and thus I need not make this difficult decision but as a caring and honest physician I can promise you that my advice is given to you as I would for my own girls.
Relevant Background
HPV is considered as common as the common cold virus by most practicing physicians in the US. It is that common and that innocuous.
There are more than 100 strains of HPV
60 cause regular non-genital skin warts
40 cause genital warts.
6 million people get infected yearly with this virus that we know of
70% of those infected are clear of any sign of the infection within a 1 year
90% have no sign of infection by 2 years.
HPV viruses that are associated with a high incidence of cancer (by the way, no one really knows the true statistics of infected healthy people without immune system problems) include HPV 16, 18, 31, 35, 45, 51, 52, 58 and others.
You cannot distinguish the type of HPV causing a particular infection with normal blood testing
The HPV vaccine was approved by the FDA a couple of months ago so it has no track record of safety or long term side-effect evaluation
The vaccine protects from 2 high risk HPV viruses-#16 and 18 which cause 70 % of cervical cancers and HPV #6 and 11, the strains that cause 90% of genital warts
We do not know anything about the vaccine's long term effectiveness or dangers in general and in specific on American girls. Before its approval by the FDA the vaccine was tested in other countries around the world for only 5 years.
Now that you are a little less scared about being non-compliant by keeping your daughter away from the vaccination, let's look at a couple of more issues.
So who is at highest risk of getting cervical cancer caused by HPV virus?
Young women- teen to early twenties with multiple sex partners who lack access to preventive and regular Pap smears and routine check-ups.
Let me make it a bit clearer: if my daughters were in the HPV immunizable age group I would not have them immunized with the HPV vaccine.
The reason: Once they became sexually active my daughters started going for regular Pap smears. Pap smears diagnose HPV related problem early and the gynecologist then treats the problem and prevents it from becoming cancer.
Cervical cancer is a disease created by lack of preventive care.
If our girls have routine Pap smears once they are sexually active, they are okay.
If your daughter may not have access to consistent preventive care, if you cannot afford it or you are not sure you can help your daughter get into a supportive and protective health environment, then protect her by immunizing her.
If your daughters are going to get routine PAP smears once they are sexually active,
if they are going to be supported and given encouragement and example to help them develop self-esteem and self-confidence, they will become self- protective and care enough about their bodies and their health not to lead risky lifestyles that expose them to STDs or other abusive situations. In this case they will not need the HPV vaccine.
Besides my concerns with the long term effect of the HPV vaccine I have one last nagging concern I want to share with you.
What message are we giving our daughters if we immunize them at the age of 9 against a sexually transmitted disease? Are we giving them a false sense of security and implicit encouragement for reckless sexual behavior?
You make that decision and don't let the doctor, the school nurse, the drug rep or your neighbor tell you what to do!
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