There are risks with every vaccine, and there are risks with each vaccine preventable disease. IMO, the key is to weigh the risks of each for your particular child and decide what makes sense for her. There have been quite a few deaths from Gardasil thus far, and many many serious adverse reactions. The Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System estimates that only 10% of these side effects are even reported! To dismiss that is truly dangerous! For those who asked how people would feel if their daughter died from cervical cancer, how would you feel if, God forbid, your daughter died from the vaccine?!?!? Something you voluntarily had injected into her?
Gardasil is NOT a cervical cancer vaccine, although it is often billed as such. It is a vaccine against a few strains of HPV only. It is far from fool-proof. You can still catch one of the other many, many strains of HPV. Also, if you have had HPV in the past (and if you have, you probably wouldn't know it), Gardasil can increase your risk of cerivical cancer! Remember, you could have had HPV even if you are a virgin.
Yes, HPV can lead to cervical cancer. In the vast majority of cases though, it clears from the body all by itself. Pap smears have dramatically reduced the number of cases of deaths from cervical cancer, and emphasizing the importance of getting them yearly to your daughters would go a long way. Cervical cancer typically progresses very slowly, and is very treatable in most cases- not all, but most. Most of the deaths that result from cervical cancer are in women who have never, or who rarely have had paps. Again, not all, but most.
As far as schools requiring vaccines against things your child will not catch in a classroom, that's also true of tetnaus, so this is not a new thing. One good thing about Gardasil is that it is making parents question the risks and benefits of vaccines, and that is a good thing! It's always wise to dig below the surface. If you are new to the idea of questioning vaccines, and you want to learn more, there are several books and websited that are great places to start. Mothering.com has a ton of information, Dr. Sears has a new book out, and Dr. Stephanie Cave has one that is often rec'd as well. All 3 of those have info on both the pros and cons of vaccines, and are more biased than some of the things you'll find out there.
by this! If the notion of mandating vaccines is based on public health, then I can see an argument of the "vicinity" diseases needing to be covered [measles, diptheria, etc.]. Last I checked, Gardasil only dealt with an illness that was transmitted solely be sexual activity...so how does the school get off DEMANDING the vaccine? I know, some one will likely say that we need to protect the children, yada, yada, yada....but then the same logic should permit the school mandate we implant norplant to make sure the girls don't come up pregnant! This is serious overstepping in my mind, and I certainly hear you on the unproven nature of the vaccine. I've read several articles about the relationship the manufacturer has to several lobby groups, so by convincing politicians to mandate the shot, they company gets more $$$. Making money doesn't always indicate someone is acting against the public interest by a long shot, but it does cause me pause when the problem/solution/legislation/and $$$$ trail are so closely linked.
There are so many misconceptions regarding this vaccine (and the rest, IMO) and I'm so tired of being bashed (not here) that I don't even bother typing it all out, so I'm soooo glad you did!!! *I* personally think that *I* owe it to my child to do as much research as I can on the topic of vaccinations instead of just doing what I'm told (or following what nursing- and our society- trained me to think)...that way no matter what decision we come to, I'm not left questioning "did I do the right thing?"
