Gardasil - for HPV - for Cervical Cancer

2010... I'm just now researching the HPV vaccine and Gardasil and whether or not I should have my currently 12 year old daughter vaccinated. It is a tough decision based on pros and cons out there on the internet. I've read your 2007 article and I've seen your comments on other blogs about the same subject. Have all 3 of your girls finished all shots? How are they? How are their friends? I imagine your, back then, 17 year old should be getting a booster shot soon, at least that is what is recommended in 2010, about every 5 years. Maybe you did a follow-up, but I couldn't find it. If you could share your whole experience 4 years later that would be good for mom's like me who just want to know some real life stories. I'm worried about the long term effects of any vaccine that is rushed to market. Even nearly 4 years later from your article, I'm not sure if enough time has gone by to know any serious long term side effects. Death or a side effect? I'd pick side effect if I knew that death was 100% certain. But could abstinence and condoms be enough? That would be ideal, but maybe not reality?

Even more controversy over the HPV Vaccine.

Could HPV Vaccine have cause a 12 year old to become paralyzed ( http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-arti... )?

Even more frustrating is that it now seems no person injured by this vaccine will be able to bring lawsuits against Merck (thanks to the federal government).

Brittany's doctors have diagnosed her with Acute Demyelinating Encephalomyelitis or ADEM. It is an inflammation of the brain that has been associated with a vaccination.

"I think there is a little cart before the horse going on here. I'm not saying this is not a good vaccine, but anyone who is going to have their daughter or child have this shot, they need to be fully informed of risks or potential risks associated with it," says Sean Cronin, Brittany's attorney.

Cronin says he can't go after Merck with a lawsuit because Gardasil is now part of a federal fund which pays out to those injured from vaccines.

First Coast News has learned, Gardasil was added to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund just months after it hit the market. "The Federal government would not put it on the list without medical scientific justification," says Cronin.

You might also be interested in reading a recent post by Kay at Covering Florida ( http://coveringflorida.blogspot.com/2007/11/second... ).

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
also at CatherineBlogs.com ( http://www.catherineblogs.com/ ) and The Political Voices of Women ( http://politicsanew.com/ )

I wish the vaccine was around when I was young. It could have saved me alot of trouble. Dont get me wrong everythings going great for me but when I was in my 20s it was tough on me.
Great HPV and other std resource. ( http://yourstdhelp.com/hpv.html )

Did you call your doctor about these side effects? If not, I would recommend you do that now - don't wait for the next shot appointment. If you did call the doctor, what was his/her response?

My two oldest have had the vaccine - well the oldest has had all three doses and the next oldest was due to get her last one on Tuesday but we missed it due to BlogHer travel delays. ;-) Neither young woman had any side effects.

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High ( http://fasttimes.clubmom.com ) & Flamingo House Happenings ( http://www.flamingohouse.net</a )

I am a mom of 3 daughters my youngest is 15 and received this shot a few weeks ago. since she has had headaches, double vision, i am wondering if anyone else has had this side effect? she goes for another shot next week and i am very leery

~*Donna*~

Parents should be serious to take their children to get vaccinated. The vaccine experiment is based on those young
women as inital trial, who have not had sex activity and have not get HPV. The study shows it is 100 pretection against the virus. The mandatory vaccine will not casue the high sex activity but just protect them from hpv that may casue cervical cancer or genital warts.

I am planning to get it. 25 years old and have not had viurs. I think we should get vaccinate and receive the protection against the 4 types which are associated with cervical canner or genital warts.

More information and source ( http://www.positivesingles.com/blog/mala_11 )

Oh good, I can't wait til you blog about Chickadee's experience with the vaccine. I love a good Chickadee story! :-)

There were HPV posters all over our doctor's office which made me wonder what the inside of a pediatrics group would look like. Are there any HPV vaccine posters on the walls there? (Like there were chicken pox vaccination posters when that became available.)

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High ( http://fasttimes.clubmom.com )

... of things to ask the pediatrician about. I want my daughter to be vaccinated. She will be 9 (and therefore eligible) this spring.

--
Mir from WCS
(BlogHer Mommy & Family contributing editor)

Personal: Woulda Coulda Shoulda ( http://wouldashoulda.com/ )

Having it all with less: Want Not ( http://wantnot.net/ )

Here's a link from the FDA ( http://www.fda.gov/cber/products/hpvmer060806qa.ht... ) - it is not a live virus vaccine. But, the prescribing info for Gardasil indicates you should not have the vaccination if you have an autoimmune disorder.

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High ( http://fasttimes.clubmom.com )

It might be on their site somewhere, but, I'm curious if anyone knows if this is a 'live' virus or a 'dead' one?

I am not planning on getting the vaccine (I started trying to grow my cervical cancer before I was 'active' anyway, so there's no dodging it if it comes back), but, when I have a daughter, I will likely have her get it when she comes of age.

Like, I do get a flu vaccine every year, but, I can't get the FluMist (nasal spray), because it is a live virus and I have autoimmune disorders, so I am not supposed to receive any live viruses.

Melanie Perry
***not all who wander are lost***
Mistress of the Dorkness ( http://mistressofthedorkness.blogspot.com )

I'm extremely wary of the way I'm seeing this drug marketed - the whole "Has your daughter been vaccinated? Shouldn't she be?" (Insert scary, foreboding music).

Which is not to say that there aren't 9-year-old girls out there having sex, but still, it doesn't quite sit well with me. I can't quite articulate it, but something about it seems opportunistic at the least.

And of course my general suspicion of the pharmaceutical industry leads me to wonder about how well tested this drug is, how safe it is for girls and women of different ages, etc... I have some research to do before I sign my girl up (I've got plenty of time, though - she's in the low-risk group at 16 months old - hee hee).

Mir - have you done research? If so, what did you find out?

I hope it's the great thing that every wants it to be. That would be wonderful, indeed.

Atena

Assumptions, Biases & Irrational Fantasies ( http://antibias.wordpress.com )

My Life As a Radical Whore/Madonna ( http://atenaoyadidani.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog... )

I totally agree with you. There are some people who might find a vaccination to be more detrimental to their health than not having it.

Nice to see a photo of you and Julio (that is you and Julio, I assume?) finally!

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High ( http://fasttimes.clubmom.com )

Denise, I haven't seen any posters at our local practice, but they tend to be good about not hawking various drugs there. ;)

--
Mir from WCS
(BlogHer Mommy & Family contributing editor)

Personal: Woulda Coulda Shoulda ( http://wouldashoulda.com/ )

Having it all with less: Want Not ( http://wantnot.net/ )

I'm waiting to get te vacine for now. I'm not in, and don't plan to be in a situation where I need STD protection. I'm glad it's available for others who need it. But because of my nerve condition, 'm fearful of any unneeded trauma. I do get the flu shots, but like I said, I just don't need this particuar vaccine right now.
I think for people who don't have this condition, it's a good idea though.
Nickie's Nook ( http://www.nickiesnook.com )

I have HPV - the kind that leads to cervical cancer. I already have signs of the early stages of cancer. I would do anything to be able to get this vaccine. Please please please have your daughters vaccinated!! I've already spent almost $1,000 on tests alone from this virus. It's worth whatever you need to pay to not have to worry about this for the rest of your (or your daughter's) life. Know that this virus can be contracted even if you use a condom. It's evil!! And remember, if you're 26 and you're on the fence, you better get it before you turn 27 and insurance won't pay for it anymore. The jerks.

Thanks for the link, Denise. :-) Much appreciated.

Melanie Perry
***not all who wander are lost***
Mistress of the Dorkness ( http://mistressofthedorkness.blogspot.com )

And thank you for being so forceful on this subject. I was lucky -- very lucky -- years ago I had an ex-boyfriend who lied to me about his medical condition and I didn't find out till after the split that he had HPV. He claimed I could never get it from him because he used condoms. Fortunately, I tested negative, but I was at risk the entire time I was with him and I never knew it. Even back then, I had heard about the connection with cervical cancer -- as had he -- and he didn't care. I suppose this is my way of saying to everyone: don't assume you (or your daughters) are 100% safe if you are at all sexually active. Get the vaccine.

--MizD
Belly Timber ( http://www.belly-timber.com )
Playing with our food since 2005

Yes, that's us. It's good to know it uploaded correctly! I didn't want to post a topic in the forums just to ask.

Atena---I'm still waiting to talk to my kids' doctor about it, but so far everything I've seen looks very promising. It's a dead vaccine and there's a low incidence of side effects (and the most common side effects are minimal).

While I agree that drug companies market every remedy as if it's your last chance in a scary world (LOL!) I also think this truly is a breakthrough treatment.

--
Mir from WCS
(BlogHer Mommy & Family contributing editor)

Personal: Woulda Coulda Shoulda ( http://wouldashoulda.com/ )

Having it all with less: Want Not ( http://wantnot.net/ )

I wrote about this on my blog at Women Walking In Wisdom’s Footsteps™. ( http://wisdomwalking.net/2007/01/11/first-vaccine-... )

What kind of treatment have you received? I had a cervical conization after my diagnosis almost 17 years ago. I haven't had a problem since. Have you had the cells removed?

I also replied at another member's blog here. This was my comment:

...When I was in my mid-20s, I was diagnosed with severe dysplasia. Mind you, I had been getting my pap smears annually for years - I found out a couple of years after my diagnosis that the lab the doctor's office used (through the HMO) misdiagnosed many smears. By that time, the dysplasia had developed - I had precancerous cells.

I ended up having a cervical conization, where my gyn took out two cone shaped pieces of tissue to remove the disease. She got it all, and I haven't had a problem since (this was about 17 years ago). But one of the side effects of a procedure like this where your cervix is being manipulated is possible miscarriage.

I got pregnant in 2003. Since I was already considered high-risk because of my age (I was 39), I had prenatal appointments every 3 weeks. The last in-office doctor appointment I had, my cervix collapsed - it effaced and opened, and I was only 22 weeks pregnant! If I had not been in that office at that time, I would have miscarried my beautiful daughter. I asked my doctor if a cervical cone could have made my cervix weaker, and she replied it very well could have. I ended up spending 12 weeks on hospital bedrest, and 2-1/2 weeks additional at home before I was induced at 37-1/2 weeks.

My daughter will only be 3 in May, but I know that if I can avoid the possibility of any of this happening to my daughter, I will do it. Your thoughts, I believe, are right on target. It's just like I read recently, just because you mandate seatbelts doesn't mean you're endorsing reckless driving. I've done so much research myself on this disease - and to me, it's absolutely worth it - I know. I almost lost my daughter one day.