All Pre-Teen and Young Teen Girls Should be Vaccinated Against HPV
Aside from cost, there is no valid reason NOT to get it--and of course, the cost becomes trivial when put in context with the potential benefits and future costs averted. There are two vaccines marketed worldwide, except in the U.S., only Merck's quadrivalent Gardasil has been approved by the FDA. (GSK's Cervarix is available elsewhere). Both have been clinically tested over the course of almost a decade, and toxicity and adverse effects have been very uncommon, while serious/severe ones are rare.
On the other hand, infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is very common. In the United States, about 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year. Almost 4,000 women die of this disease each year. However, about 6 million new cases of genital HPV infection occur each year, including infections with all the different types. About three-quarters of these infections occur in the 15--24 year age group. There are many different strains of HPV, of which two types, HPV-16 and HPV-18--cause about 70% of all cervical cancers. HPV infection is also causally linked to genital warts in both genders. The HPV types involved in causing genital warts are types 6 and 11. It is not known precisely how many of the millions of infections are caused by these pathogenic types.
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While vaccines have eradicated such nasty epidemics like smallpox and the like, vaccines like the HPV and flu (mandatory if you work in health care, or to enroll your child in most schools) are superfluous. The flu is no longer a threat to human life (unless you are very old, or very young. Your six year old doesn't need a vaccine.)
HPV is a virus that has at least 100 different strains that cause cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine only immunizes against 70% of those. While that sounds like a good percentage, what it really means is that you are effectively lowering your child's natural immunity to being more susceptible to the other 30% of those strains immediately upon vaccinating.
In fact, you can't fully immunize against a virus at all. Natural selection works on the micro level far quicker than it does on a macro level, and I promise you that if you try to permanently eradicate a specific virus through any means, it WILL mutate into a strain that's capable of survival.
If we start immunizing every perfectly healthy girl in America against a virus that they may or may not get, it's highly likely that we will soon start to see more resilient (and deadly) strains of this virus.
Now, the average American is not usually aware of this information - but the guys at the pharmaceutical companies peddling this stuff are. Take their "health advice" with a grain of salt. Their first priority is not the well-being of your child - it's selling their product.
I am fairly ignorant of HPV. My understanding is that this is transmitted sexually. Old school "right living" (no premarital sex, etc.) would prevent transmission of all such related diseases, correct? if this is the case, then I would not support promoting this vaccine. I have two daughters myself (pre-teen), and of the mindset that when you play with fire, don't be surprised when you get burned. Call me crazy, naive, or out of touch, but STDs are natural consequences to behaviors people should not engage. End of argument for me.
Jefe, you are so right: better to prevent by not catching the bug then by killing the bug after catching. But I would not rely on religious/ethical norms to prevent my daughters. There is absolutely no biological argument to not engage in sex from the start of hormonal maturity. So having sexual relationships is not something someone should refrain of before a certain cultural stage is reached.
The point with this specific STD is that the male partner transfers it to the female partner. Practicing safe sex methods will prevent this. Also teaching boys effective intimate hygiene will be a great help in reducing the chances of virus built up. That will be a added security when safe sex is no longer wished for in a stable relation in the stage of reproduction.
Jefe, as you know that HPV is transmitted sexually then you must realize that your two daughters could be at risk of getting HPV from their husbands, whether or not they were virgins when they married. Yes, old school right living will reduce their chances of becoming infected, but even if they are chaste before marriage, chastity is not a sure-fire preventive. The Gardasil vaccine is only about 70% effective, too, but chastity combined with Gardasil will give your daughters the best possible chance of avoiding HPV infection.
Vows of chastity are all very well, but they are easier to make than to keep. By all means, teach your two daughters chastity, but don't deprive them the advantages of this vaccine.
M. Glass
You're telling me that this vaccine with soooo many potential down falls is only 70% effective? I hope that you're underselling this number by, say, 29 percent or so.
Case in point: birth control pills, when used correctly, is supposed to be 99% effective. This is good; however, I have two nephews who are "birth control babies ." Sure, this is a statistical anomaly, but if this has happened with my sister with 99% effectiveness how often could something with only 70% effectiveness??
Needless to say, if/when I have a daughter of that age 1) there will be a lot more data from girls used, essentially, as guiene pigs to make an informed decision 2) will NOT have a shot of something that prevents at such a low percentage. Has America been brainwashed by thinking watching "good hitters" in baseball hit .300 (30%0, NBA shooters .500 (50%)? Why not take a que from our NFL kickers, over the 90% mark is good, 80 acceptable anything less is out of the league unless you're in a lot of long range field goals.
I read somewhere that plenty of exercise will reduce your chances of getting cancer by half. Do we give up on exercise because it's only 50% effective against cancer? Of course not! Now the same applies with this vaccine. A 70% level of protection is not perfect, but it's better than nothing.
You mention potential downfalls of the vaccine. I am not sure what you are referring to. Could you explain what you mean?
M. Glass
You might want to think of another example and here's why: how many benefits do we get from exercise ? Just a 50% increase in resistance to cancer ? Heck no, we get more fit, more endurance and many other physcial activity related things, not to mention the other health benefits like lowering risk of heart disease, and so on and so forth. Oh, and exercise has no natural side effects.
So, what all does this shot do? Nothing that I know of. How many potential side effects? Several. Looks like the two in this example have flipped results: exercise has a lot of benefits with no side effects, while the shot has one benefit and several side effects.
Of course exercise is good but even exercise has its risks. One of my best friends was killed while riding his bicycle to work. I asked you what you meant by the "potential downfalls" of the HPV vaccine you replied that it has "seveal side effects." What side effects? Please give me chapter and verse and your sources of information.
M. Glass
Well, since we are replying to a debate about the HPV vacine maybe we could start by looking there for the information that the experts provided. Here's a link to one of Sigrid's arguments:
http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/the-principle-of-unintended-consequences
Don't have time right now to go in depth.
As for exercise being dangerous: dude, sure you can get hit by a car but that danger was not caused by the exercise itself. Exercise may raise the chance of damaging a joint or some such while doing so, but there are no direct links between sensible exercise and further damaging your health .
Sorry if I'm brief, I'm out the door.
I looked at your link. It talked about potential problems. Potential problems aren't side effects. Potential problems might happen or they might not. Side effects are documented problems that result from a specific medication .
M. Glass
This campaign from the vaccine companies is all about money. This vaccine does not even work against all strains of HPV. Not all strains cause cervical cancer. Vaccines have never been proven to be safe. Hmmm....seems to be a no brainer.