Aside from my issues with vaccines, some of which I see the point in and some of which I don’t, I have an opinion on the newest cervical cancer vaccine. My friend Megan disagrees with me, but I thought rather than going too too long on her post I’d make my own.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007, about 11,150 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. And there are an estimated 4 times more cases of the same cancer in it’s earliest stages - diagnosed in situ. This cancer is curable with early detection - like pap tests which have helped the death rate from this type of cancer drop about 75% since 1955. But you know what? Cervical Cancer is still one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. And 2/3 of all cases are caused by HPV, we know that! How awesome is it that through research we KNOW how to stop a Cancer?
Why not mandate a vaccine for it as part of the spectrum of vaccines we give our children? It would create blanket protection for young women from a disease that although caused by sexual activity could come to her in many ways. Even the most sexually inactive teen with strong moral objections to sex before marriage could someday be unknowingly infected by her husband (many men and women with the disease show no symptoms), or could be the victim of a rape. There is no morning-after pill for HPV, once a young woman is exposed she is at a substantially higher risk of this type of cancer.
Why not give someone a vaccine in preparation for the smallest possibility of infection? We do this for Polio and other diseases through vaccines.
And really - if you want to take on the medical risk for your child of choosing not to vaccinate her, then there is always an opt-out procedure. And at eighteen your daughter can decide for herself, unless of course she’s already been infected by then (God forbid).
I for one would like to give my daughter the vaccine and spare her the painful tests (LEEP for one) as well as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy in the future. When we are vaccinating our children against every strain of flu, the chicken pox and all sorts of other issues why not add in one more that could prevent cancer?
Updated to add:
Valid points made by friends of mine:
Gardasil has already been fast-track approved by the FDA, but lately there have been very good examples of how amazingly flawed the FDA approval process can be.
Merck spokesman Chris Loder said the vaccine is effective for five years and the Whitehouse Station, N.J., drug maker is not sure how long afterward the vaccine will work. Critics point out that an additional booster shot may be necessary.
The vaccine has not been studied in anyone who is not between the ages of 16 and 26, so mandating it for 11 year olds seems really premature. I think more testing needs to be done. There are also independent analysists who are asking the question of whether or not the vax will have an effect on fertility (since some women have reported issues since getting the vax). There have also been quite a few episodes of teen girls having seizures and fainting spells after one dose (it’s a 3 series shot) so the neurological effects are in question. Also, people shoudl be aware that it only protects against 4 strains of HPV which account for 70% of cases. So there is still the risk of getting HPV if you have the vax. They are also studying if the vaccine can actually trigger cervical cancer if the women already have HPV when they get the vax. If so, then it would be recommended that a pap smear be done prior to the vax to know for sure. Of course, they aren’t doing that now so if down the road they find out that it does how many women will have gotten cancer from the vax. Like I said, too many unknowns.
a high aluminum content to that vaccine which unnerves me a bit
My issue stems from my jack-ass governor mandating this vaccine by executive order for all 11 year old girls…
This is AFTER he criticized his opponent during last fall’s campaign for wanting to do the same thing.
WHy the urgency? Why not let the legistlature deal with this? Why not let the voters deal with this? Too may questions and not enough answers.
He and his family have ties to Merck. I am not really in the mood right now to bail out Merck for thier Vioxx disaster thank you very much… at tax-payer expense, no less…
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Popularity: 11% [?]
Hey - thanks for the linkage!
I won’t prattle on here because I responded in the comments on my entry, but one thing that does ruffle me are the comparisons of HPV to polio (and other various communicable diseases). The transmission process for HPV is utterly different from any other communicable disease for which our children receive vaccinations. Obviously, that doesn’t make HPV any less dangerous or harmful, but I believe it does make the choice in whether or not to be able to choose this vaccine for your child entirely different from choices about other vaccines.
Hey, thanks for the great conversation, by the way. I have been having a hard time getting anyone to really dialogue with me about this!
It is tough to get friends to argue - it’s so easy to have feelings hurt.
I do agree with Megan on one thing, the TX governer is a bit whacked on his connections to Merck and having criticized this very idea by his opponent.
In response to the transmission process thing - I think the unwillingness to address diseases with non-socially acceptable transmission proccesses is a problem. Isin’t this why we took so darn long to admit that HIV/AIDS even existed?
I agree wholeheartedly. I have already had to have a leeps procedure done to remove pre-cancerous cells, and it was an AWFUL experience for me. I still worry that there will be recurrance and cancer to deal with in my future. My partners were all tested for MOST STIs, but apparently this isn’t one they test for, and with no symptoms, it’s a hard thing to pin down.
I’ve already talked to my little sister (she’s 16) and my mom about making sure she gets this. There’s no reason not to for those that haven’t been exposed, and hey, it can prevent CANCER. that’s a biggie in my book!
Mandatory vaccines take away your freedom of choice. Instead of propagating fear, why not educate young women on how to better take care of themselves? Diet plays the biggest role here and if we just had more education in that area, you wouldn’t have to accept this law as okay when it really is not.
I don’t know what to think on this vax. Not having a long view of the side effects yet makes me nervous. And I’m not a big vax advocate either. (One of my sons was vaxed against Pertussis and got it anyway. The doctor told me, in a whisper, that nearly all the children he hospitalizes for Pertussis were fully vaxed.)
Anyhoo, though, like you said…if there is a way to prevent a cancer, I’m all for it. Of course abstinence by 11 yo would be more ideal in my book, but that’s another story. If we can spare the trauma and loss cancer and reap on an individual and a family…gosh, I’m just interested to see what the next few years hold for this vaccine.
I’m glad you brought up that this cancer kills so many women. My husband has a friend that is an Onocologist Gynecological surgeon and he sees so much promotion for stopping breast cancer, yet so little for ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer which kill more women. I wish it all was stopped, all cancer.
Thanks for sharing your insights on this new vax!