HPV Vaccine...yay or nay?

[Kim1964]

I voted no way. I've struggled with this as my mother died from cervical cancer, but I just don't feel like the vaccine has been around long enough yet know all the possible things that can go wrong with it. I have two daughters and I am not getting them vaccinated.

 

[justhat]

Even if my DD is never with anyone but her husband, he will probably already have it and expose her.

I had a conversation with my Gyn about this vaccine and he told me something like 80% of the world's population male & female is infected. Most never know and males don't often have symptoms so they never see a Dr for it and spread it from female to female to female through their lifetimes. These days even old world STD's are making a comeback in new drug resistant strains so I want my DD & DS as protected as possible. I have known a few women who had to have either procedures done or removal of part of their cervix due to Cervical Cancer in their 20's due to the extremely aggressive newer strains. It is very sad when they are left unable to have children and would be even sadder if it could have been prevented. I would never want to have to explain to my DD she couldn't have a baby because of something I did or didn't do, but that is just me. No flames to anyone who disagrees with me, this is just how I see it. To each their own.

I think the vaccine has been around for a few years already so a good amount of data is available already.

I have to say that is very true. My good friend had an abnormal pap at 23yo and it turned out a guy she dated in college, years earlier, had transmitted HPV to her. He not only knew he had it, he was in medical school and was well aware of the dangers, but chose not to tell her. Well, as a result, she was infected for years before finding out (through abnormal, pre-cancerous cells on a routine pap test) and in those years likely spread it to 3 other guys. Being responsible, she contacted them all and told them (embarrassing as it was for her), but who knows if they ever contacted any girlfriends they had after her. She has had to undergo many procedures and test to remove the precancerous cells and check for regrowth and she's only 29yo. She's now married and she and her husband plan to start TTC in a year or so (she's finishing vet school, so not too safe to be pregnant right now) and she is so worried about infertility or problems due to the HPV.

FWIW, my daughter is only 5yo, but my husband and I would have no problem vaccinating her if she were older, and when she is older she will be getting the vaccine.

 

[daisax]

It won't prevent any more cervical cancer deaths than regular pap smears will, and might make girls more complacent about getting pap smears which would pick up cervical ca caused by OTHER strains not covered by the vaccine.

Cervical cancer is widely curable if caught early and treated immediately. I wonder how many of the girls who get the vaccine will feel that because of it they're now "one less" and not seek GYN care regularly until they're starting a family?

 

[CF'er]

Our pediatrician advised us to wait when DD11 went in for her 6th grade vaccines. She doen't feel DD is in a high risk group for having sex at this time (or in near future) and wants more info and time to pass before we decide one way or the other. So we are looking at 14yo or so.

On the other hand.... I had HPV and had to have a cone biopsy. Subsequently I had to have a stitch placed with both pregnancies. I would like to spare DD this. I hope there is more evidence one way or the other before it's time.

I guess I'm currently on top of the fence.

 

[denisenh]

helpful info on hpv

http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm

 

[crazee4mickey]

OK - I am having a hard time responding to this post. I have such a strong opinion on this issue.

So - I am going to take the high road in my response - and try not to offend anyone.

The decision to get this series of immunizations or not should be a decision between the girl, the parents, and the physician.

I can see where schools/states would have a vested interest in some immunizations...MMR, chicken pox, H1N1, seasonal fle etc, because those particular illnesses transfer from one person to the next through ordinary contact that can happen in the school environment (i.e. coughing, sneezing, not washing hands) etc. H1N1 and flu can be of "pandemic" proportions, so, I might be far more understanding if the school district sent something home related to that.

I still do not understand why the school district thinks they should have any input to whether or not their female students should be getting the Gardasil immunizations.

Sorry, I edited my OP to say who is sending the forms home.....I didn't mean the school or the school division was recommending they get the vaccination, I said the form came home from school. The school offers absolutely no advice as to whether they think a person should get it or not.

The public health nurse does this as a way of distributing permission forms for upcoming vaccinations--it is just easier(and costs less ) to send the forms home via the school--it is 100%our choice whether to have our daughter have it or not---free through our health care system nothing to do with the school--we are not being pressured at all, hence the information packet and permission form for the vaccination

 

[locolala]

I've gotten the shots. I already had HPV, and cervical cancer. I went through chemo and had surgery, they said they got everything. However, my gyn recommended I get the shot, because my husband might have a strain laying dormant in his body, so I want to protect myself as much as possible. I'm not going through chemo again. My daughters will likely get this shot, when we do have kids. I would never want them to go through what I've been through.

 

[DawnCt1]

Received permission forms home from school that they(not the school, the public health nurse) will be giving all girls in grade 6 the HPV(Human papillomavirus)vaccine free of charge in just over a week.

To be perfectly honest, what I have read I am not sure this is something I am ready to give my daughter. With the latest death of the 14 y.o. in Britain, it terrifies me!

IMO from what I have read, I just don't think there has been enough long term research on this and the fact some die frightens the life out of me. The unknown of this vaccine is stopping me from giving permission at this point. What do you think?

That child did not die from the vaccine, but from a very large thoracic tumor(chest ) around her heart and lungs.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5905EN20091001

 

[luvmy3]

My dd will not be getting it any time soon. I am not totally opposed to it, but its just too new of a vaccine for me to trust that it is completely safe. At her doc appt last month, he recommended it but I said no I wanted to wait, he just said we'll discuss it again at her next annual visit.

 

[crazee4mickey]

That child did not die from the vaccine, but from a very large thoracic tumor(chest ) around her heart and lungs.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5905EN20091001

Interesting.... No flames but I just think its really just odd they say they don't think the vaccination had anything to do with her death---I'm not a scientist or coroner but the reactions brought on or experienced by a lot of people may have "sped" up her death JMHO.

Anyways there have been too many deaths associated to make me feel 100% comfortable signing the permission form just yet.

 

[BuffettFan]

My daughter has had the vaccine....

I didnt have an opinion of it one way or the other, and our family doctor said it couldn't hurt, so she had the first shot last October. 2 days later she had her first seizure. Didn't make the connection to the shot. Had the second injection, and less than a week later....had another seizure. Asked about the timing in connection with the vaccination, and was told the had nothing to do with each other. Ran tons of tests looking for something that was causing the seizures, and found nothing. Had the last of the injections in the Spring.....and you guessed it, had another seizure.

They still haven't found a a cause for the seizures, despite dozens of tests....but the doc still says that it was just a coincidence with the HPV shots.....of course its also a coincidence that she hasn't had another seizure since.

So if I had it to do over again.....I would pass.

 

[NHdisneylover]

DD12 had the series with the first shot right after her 11th birthday (6th grade). She had no side effects at all. I am pretty sure DD will still be smart enough to have regular paps as an adult/older teen. She has seen me never miss one and has heard me talk about how much my mom changed after undergoing treatment for cervical cancer.

 

[Green Tea]

I asked my OB/GYN about this a short while ago and his answer was a booming "NO"

He basically said that since this vaccine does not prevent all of the strains, it obviously isn't *really* worth it, and that it may in the long run make certain strains more aggressive or stronger.

He wouldn't let his daughter get it, and he wouldn't suggest any of his patiente get it, either.

I asked my OBGYN and he said yes. He is a friend too, and said said when his girls were old enough he would have them receive the shot. He said by the end of sophomore year in college, 70% of girls would have been exposed to HPV.

My DD did have the series and had no problem. Not the pain that we expected. Said it wasn't as bad as an allergy shot.

 

[Rora]

Nay.

It's not been out long enough and the recent death is reason enough for hesitation. I had a friend who got the vaccine and she wound up still getting cervical cancer because the vaccine doesn't protect against all types of strains.

 

[tazdev3225]

I would have given both of my DD's the shot if it were available when the were younger. I really wish it had been. My youngest DD got infected with HPV. She had several procedures and the dr. said she may have difficulties when she became pregnant, IF she got pregnant. Luckily she did but was a high risk pregnancy. She will be at high risk for cancer for the rest of her life. Her DBF was devastated when he realized he infected her. Both of my DGD's will get the shot. There are risks with every immunization and adverse reactions. IMO the risk of the virus is worse than the risk of the shot. I also know of several girls who had babies in middle school. You don't always know what your kids are doing when they aren't with you.

 

[Disnydad]

Our daughter (now 17) completed the shots over a year ago without any side effects.

 

[aprilgail2]

I asked my OB/GYN about this a short while ago and his answer was a booming "NO"

He basically said that since this vaccine does not prevent all of the strains, it obviously isn't *really* worth it, and that it may in the long run make certain strains more aggressive or stronger.

He wouldn't let his daughter get it, and he wouldn't suggest any of his patiente get it, either.

My OB/GYN AND my daughters pediatrician said the same thing! My daughters Dr said she would not even give it to her own kids so she could not recommend others getting it!

 

[Caradana]

Yay, resoundingly yay.

 

[Ember]

To be perfectly honest, what I have read I am not sure this is something I am ready to give my daughter. With the latest death of the 14 y.o. in Britain, it terrifies me!

The 14 year old girl died of a massive cancerous tumour in her chest, NOT the HPV vaccine. It was just a coincidence that she happened to get her vaccine a few days prior to her death. The fact the anti-vacc people are taking this story and running with it to spread ignorance and fear infuriates me.

Do some research. Actually read the studies, not just the interpretations of them by one side or the other. Seeing as you're taking your child's future health into your hands, do not let irrational fear make your decision for you.

 

[m&m's mom]

Nancy Snyderman had a great take on it. It was basically that you can take any group of people and something can happen in days after- getting the shot or not. It is just life.
My sister is a very well informed Doctor. She got her DD's the shots and I have already gotten DD the 1st 2 shots already with no reaction. Also, a large number of DD's friends go it and have not suffered reactions either.