HPV Vaccine: The Choice

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HPV Vaccine? Deciding what to do

A recent New York Times article discussed the dilemma of whether to vaccinate for the HPV virus. Many moms, including many of my patients are asking for information and considering what to do and what’s best for their daughters.

Before we go any further, here’s some background:
1. I wrote my masters thesis on HPV in 1987
2. Yes, we knew about HPV way back then, and we know more now
3. I have no financial or other ties to Merck pharmaceuticals or to the Gardisil HPV vaccine.

For information on HPV, see my 3 part series on HPV and the vaccine, here are the links: 

Part 1 

Part 2 

Part 3 

FDA report on Gardisil

The vaccine was tested in over 11,000 girls and women prior to FDA approval. Since approval over 6 million doses have been distributed. Sere have been reports of side effects from the vaccine, including seizures, Guillain-Barre Syndrome , blood clots and death. The FDA reviewed all of these serious cases and for the serious adverse events, when the medical records, they were available were able to attribute the cause to other medical conditions or factors. In the case of blood clots, in all cases there were other risk factors, such as being on the birth control pill. In the case of Guillian Barre, the FDA states, “To date, there is no evidence that Gardasil has increased the rate of Guillain-Barre Syndrome above that expected in the population.”

http://www.fda.gov/CBER/safety/gardasil071408.htm    

Vaccine prevents pre-cancerous lesions

When making the decision, it’s also important to consider that preventing HPV infection not only prevents cervical cancer, but also the lesions that are pre-cancerous and require diagnosis and treatment. Many women are diagnosed early with their pap smears but still need follow up pap smears, colposcopy and/or treatments.

If you’ve ever had an abnormal pap smear and needed to return for the follow up pap or for a colposcopy (a procedure where a microscope like device is used to view the cervix with magnification), you know how worrisome this can be. Likewise treatments for pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions on the cervix can also be traumatic for women.

Recommendations

The FDA is still recommending that teens be vaccinated for HPV and that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Check back and we’ll keep you updated on the latest. http://www.nursebarb.com/