Cervical Cancer Jab

Jodi - posted on 10/01/2009

Quoting Loureen:

Ive had my Gardisil shots , no side affects for me .

Of course your daughters may not be sexually active now but someday they will be and even if they only sleep with one person there is no guarantee of how many people their partner has slept with , it only takes ONE person to become infected and statistics show its very common .

50 % of sexually active women and men have HPV by the age of 50 , 80% of women have HPV .
HPV is the virus that causes cervical cancer , so unless you screen every boyfriend and track their every sexual activity previous to a relationship with your daughter you will never know what they have .

personally i would do it , rather than the chances of my child get cancer and suffer horribly i have had to watch my parents go through it and its not pretty .
I would feel terrible if it did happen and i could have prevented but didnt because of paranoia surrounding vaccines these days .

Loureen, just out of interest, did they tell you when you had the shot (or in the literatures) that you still had to continue with your pap smears?  I am just really interested, because my stepdaughter told me she didn't know that (ok, she's only young, and from what I gather had never had one anyway), but that bothered me, and I am just curious if they educate about this at the same time?

Alexis - posted on 10/01/2009

I can tell you as someone who has HPV and had to have part of her cervix removed, I would strongly recommend the vaccine. I wasn't diagnosed until I was engaged to be married. I have no idea where I picked it up. And by the time I found out I had it, I had already passed it on to my then fiancee too (I'm married now). As others have said, the benefits far outweigh the risks. I would never wish anyone to go through what I had to go through, especially not my own child. I was very well educated about STDs, and I thought I was being careful. I got HPV anyway, as most women will in their lifetimes. The point of giving the vaccine early is not to promote sexual promiscuity at an early age, it's to make sure our daughters are protected well before they become sexually active. And kids nowadays are having sex younger and younger. I'm sure my parents were not aware of what age I started having sex. And as another poster said, it is foolish to think that our children will not be having sex at a young age. All you as a parent can do is educate them to be as responsible as possible. After that, it's up to them as to what decision they make. Children are their own people and will make whatever decisions they want, whether or not you approve and whether or not you've given them every reason in the world to make another decision. All I will say is that I will do everything possible to be sure that my daughters are safe from this awful disease. I'm so glad that they live in an age where something like this vaccine is available to help my protect them!

Nadine - posted on 10/01/2009

Hi Lorraine. I personally would not take the gamble of injecting my child with a vaccine that has only been on the market for a short time. The human papilloma virus is detectable through a pap smear and can be treated accordingly. As this virus is a sexually transmitted disease, I think it would make much better sence to educate our children about safe sex techniques and prevent the virus from occuring in the first place.
The vaccine itself contains 225 mcg of Aluminium. Animal and human studies have shown that aluminum adjuvants can cause brain cell death and that vaccine aluminium adjuvants can allow aluminum to enter the brain, as well as cause inflammation at the injection site leading to chronic joint and muscle pain and fatigue. In the clinical trials that I have read, the vaccine has not been proven safe and/or effective.

Deboragh - posted on 10/01/2009

Hi Lorraine, i was very shocked to hear about the young girl who died after the vaccine and was in a dilema about letting my own daughter have the ab. My middle child Cara is 16 and missed the jab at school due to been unwell so we aranged for her to have it at our GP's surgery, then we saw this on the news. She is due to have the vaccine at 11am this morning and much to my relief it said on last nights news that the young girl in questio had other quite serious but previously unknown problems. We are going ahead with the vaccine thismorning and although a little nervous i feel we are making the correct choice for her future. I will post again later on and let you know how she got on.
P.S my niece had the vaccine last week and apart from being a little sore she was absolutely fine. :-)

Laura - posted on 09/30/2009

Quoting Loureen:

Ive had my Gardisil shots , no side affects for me .

Of course your daughters may not be sexually active now but someday they will be and even if they only sleep with one person there is no guarantee of how many people their partner has slept with , it only takes ONE person to become infected and statistics show its very common .

50 % of sexually active women and men have HPV by the age of 50 , 80% of women have HPV .
HPV is the virus that causes cervical cancer , so unless you screen every boyfriend and track their every sexual activity previous to a relationship with your daughter you will never know what they have .

personally i would do it , rather than the chances of my child get cancer and suffer horribly i have had to watch my parents go through it and its not pretty .
I would feel terrible if it did happen and i could have prevented but didnt because of paranoia surrounding vaccines these days .

It's Great to hear from someone who has actually had the shots themselves! I have also had 2 of mine with my final one due in a months time. I must say that i did have a side effect but wasn't until the day after my shot. I found it tricky to swallow and had aches all over my body as it caused my glands to swell. although it might sound not very pleasant it was bearable and only lasted a day or 2 and if things had have gotten worse i would have gone straight to my local hospital.

I decided to get it done as i have a young daughter of my own and thought that if by getting it it would reduce the risk of me getting just one type of cancer and being able to stay alive for as long as i can then that was good enough for me. The way i see it is that i am a guinea pig for the future generations and if for some reason this does have long term side effects then i will be able to make an accurate decision once my daughter has grown up as to whether she receives the vaccine or not. 

At the end of the day mothers instinct goes along way so if you don't feel comfortable about it don't get it done. I would definatley hold off if they are not sexually active yet and get it done when they are ready for it.

Charlie - posted on 09/30/2009

Ive had my Gardisil shots , no side affects for me .

Of course your daughters may not be sexually active now but someday they will be and even if they only sleep with one person there is no guarantee of how many people their partner has slept with , it only takes ONE person to become infected and statistics show its very common .

50 % of sexually active women and men have HPV by the age of 50 , 80% of women have HPV .
HPV is the virus that causes cervical cancer , so unless you screen every boyfriend and track their every sexual activity previous to a relationship with your daughter you will never know what they have .

personally i would do it , rather than the chances of my child get cancer and suffer horribly i have had to watch my parents go through it and its not pretty .
I would feel terrible if it did happen and i could have prevented but didnt because of paranoia surrounding vaccines these days .

Shanti - posted on 09/30/2009

I agree with so many parents that 13 and 14 year olds should not be worrying about getting STDS!!! And vaccinating them against them just proves that we have already accepted the fact that they will be having sex at such a young age, at an age when they should be studying and playing.When they do turn sexually active at a later age is when a choice must be made if they need the vaccine. PLEASE not at 13...

Teresa - posted on 09/30/2009

Hi Lorraine, my daughter is 14yrs. and has had the same Dr. since she was 9 months. so when the information came out about getting the shot I called him and discussed it with him and my daughter at the same time and made our decision together. I trust him and know that he has the best interest of my daughter in mind. Good luck with what ever your decision will be. Teresa

Jennifer - posted on 09/30/2009

I have a nine yr old daughter and putting aside all my personal beliefs that I should immunize my child for an std that she may never come into contact with, in my town (of 27,000) we have had three girls(11-13) become catostrophically ill due to these immunisation. I am talking breathing machines, oxy tents, heart monitors, life forever changing illnesses. I know that everyone's body is different and everyone's body takes things differently, but how many problems do we need with something before we admit it may not be the solution we thought it was??? And just to throw this monkey in the wrench, I as a high school student had all three hep b vaccines, but as an adult thanks to a cheating spouse contracted hep b, immunizations don't always work!!! My vote mom's is stay away from this vaccine and teach more sexual values to your children, if we as a society had a better relationship with our children we wouldn't be having to worry about std's in our 14 yr olds.

Joyce - posted on 09/30/2009

I thank goodness that there is a vaccine that can prevent HPV and the cervical cancer it can cause. The majority of cervical cancer is caused by HPV. And HPV is very easily transmitted sexually. Unless the HPV causes warts on the outside of the body, there are no symptoms and no way to tell if your partner has HPV.
That said, no vaccine, or any thing really is 100% safe. There are benefits and risks to everything we do in life. In this case I feel the benefits greatly outweigh the risks, and I had my teenage daughter vaccinated.

Sandi - posted on 09/30/2009

Hi Lorraine,

Obviously this is a very controversial subject, as all vaccinations have been. My suggestion would be to research this very thoroughly, it is important though that you make sure you are getting your information from a reliable source not every web site on the internet has correct information. Wikipedia is one that has information from all sorts of sources not always reputable, anyone can put there opinion on these web pages. I am a combined lab and x-ray tech and 2 years ago I attended a conference in which a pathologist spoke, and her opinion was that it is incredibly important for young women to be vaccinated in fact she even suggested that young men be vaccinated as well. There is a very storng link between the HPV virus and cervical cancer and if we can do anything to prevent that from happening to our children I am in favor of that. I have 2 daughters aged 9 and 5 and they will both be getting the vaccination. I realize that there are risks associated with vaccinations but that is true of many things. It is proven that vaccinations help to prevent disease, if you are concerned about what products are in the vaccine - ask, and if your child is allergic to any of those things opt out of the shot. Any person could have an allergic reaction to anything at any time, you cannot always prevent this, you need to weigh all the facts and make your decision. My opinion is to make sure your daughter gets it and make sure to educate her at the same time. It is not reasonable to think your child will never have sex, you hope you teach them to make the best decisions for themselves, but you cannot stop it from happening.

Kate CP - posted on 09/30/2009

Quoting Melissa:

The HPV virus can only be spread by sexual contact. Cervical cancer is caused by this virus. If girls are educated to make responsible sexual decisions and don't have multiple sexual partners then they won't have the risk of being exposed to this virus. To me this vaccination is a free pass for girls to be irresponsibly sexually promiscuous. This is also society's way of promoting multiple sexual partners. It seems to make much more sense to me to teach our daughters how to have self respect so they will not want to make poor decisions that can expose them to this virus in the first place than it is to give them a shot that lets them get away with unsafe & self destructive behavior. So on that note my 2 daughters will not be getting that vaccine.

First, even if you only have one partner you could still be at risk for HPV. If your partner has had more than one sexual partner then you're at risk for getting HPV. So I don't see how this vaccine promotes promiscuity.

Kate CP - posted on 09/30/2009

Quoting melissa:

Quoting Sharon:

Quoting Pamela:

I will be quite honest and say that I have always been against injections because all that they do is to actually give you a small dose of whatever the disease is, supposedly in a low enough dosage to give your body a chance to build immunities. To me that is a very poor idea.

Not everyone's body is going to be exposed to a cancer risk and the fact that the medical community? is going into high schools and suggesting this SMACKS of self-righteousness on their parts! Who knows, they could simply be using this population of young women as "guine4s pigs" for their own reasons. I would NOT TRUST this "jab".

You're against erradicating polio?  Measles?  Mumps?  Rubella?  You're against saving lives?  I guess children hobbling around on crutches and swaying awkwardly is just a funny sight for some people.

The way a vaccine works is how it works.  That is WHY it works.  Instead of gettin full blown chicken pox - you get it mildly - if at all, you don't suffer as much, you don't scar as badly and now you will most likely never get it again and if you are male - it means you will most likely NOT BE STERILIZED by catching the pox as an adult.  DAMN screw that - its the best way to fix a man!  Lets give them all the pox!!!

To condemn vaccines completely & utterly is ludicrous.  God forbid we should stop children from dying.  Hell no we don't want that!!!  Babies in coffins are CUTE!!!  Geezus christ. 

THAT said - this vaccine worries me.  Because it is new.  Because of some reports that women have become ill after getting the shot.  Yes that worries me.  My daughter isn't old enough to worry about it yet so I haven't done an indepth research on it.  In 7 years - the vaccine will be older, better tested, proven, etc.

I wouldn't be any happier if this had been developed for boys as my oldest is 14 yrs old.  But damn a vaccine against STDs - any std - is awesome.

Hey!!  When the vaccine for AIDS is developed - lets all ignore it and laugh and point fingers at the idiots who get it!!  YAY!!

 

 

 

 

i think that the new vaccines like swine flu, the hpv are bad, they are just trying to keep us populated and keep us under control. i believe they are using us our kids as ginny pigs, y not? its not their families getting it done. they already have a cure 4 aids and cancer, they just dont wanna release it then PEOPLE WILL LIVE!!! don t u c that. its all about control. the government only cares about themselves not us the consumers or our kids!!! do the reserach!!!  instead of being a smartass do sum research and see what they are putting in these vaccines and how they are affecting people,like the gulf war and the vaccines they gave them and millions died, my father died from an vaccine given him during the day , he got sick and that night passed away in his sleep . this shot was given from the military, HELLO GOVERNMENT!!! he was healthy as an ox and training to go overseas. so dont be so judgemental b4 u no the facts!!

 

o.O

Do you have any idea how totally paranoid that sounded? A lot of military men and women who are about to go into the field are given TONS of vaccines, many of which aren't cleared for civilian use. Some people have reactions to vaccines or have an underlying condition which may have been undiagnosed making a vaccine unsafe for that particular individual. Vaccines were not created as population control. Vaccines were created to save lives and they work. Small pox, Polio, whooping cough (pertusis), and even the flu were are very serious very deadly diseases to children and adults not long ago. Now children aren't even vaccinated for small pox because the disease is so rare. Why? Vaccines!

I, personally, am not too keen on Gardasil simply because it's so new and there have been quite a few issues reported with it. However, that doesn't mean I think all vaccines are killer cocktails. My daughter is only 3 years old so the Gardasil vaccine doesn't really apply to us. If she were of age to recieve the vaccine today I wouldn't give it to her. I want more research done on the long term effects of the vaccine before I allow my daughter to be immunized with it.

Jeannine - posted on 09/30/2009

Ok, do you ladies know that over 2/3 of the US population has or will have hpv in their lifetimes? That means that the odds are exceptionally good that your daughters will get it. Also, you can carry the virus for years, passing it on to your partner or partners.



Have any of you done research on this disease? Do you know what it does? Do you want your daughter to have all these horrible growths on her genitals? Do you want her to have a hysterectomy because she develops cervical cancer? Do you want her to have to undergo all kinds of painful and embarrassing treatments because of this? What about a LEEP, where they use an electrified wire to cut layers of her cervix off? Or a colposcopy, where they take a chunk out of her cervix to run tests? Or what if she becomes pregnant and has to choose between aborting the child or losing her own life from the cancer? Did you know that it CAN be spread in ways other than direct sexual contact, such as trying on clothing that another girl who has it was just wearing? Did you also know that they cannot vouch for the vaccine's efficacy IF the child is already sexually active? Do you realize that since 2 out of 3 will contract this virus, more than likely, even if your daughter only has ONE sexual partner her entire life, HE will have the virus? Do you realize that if you have the virus, you may NEVER have symptoms?



This doesn't in any way advocate sexual promiscuity and I don't see how anyone can even think that. It doesn't say, "Hey, go out and have sex with several people!" Cervical cancer is caused by MANY other things besides this virus. You do NOT have to be "irresponsibly sexually promiscuous" to get this. You do NOT have to have multiple sexual partners. The amount of self respect your daughter has will NOT keep her from being infected. What if your daughter is raped and contracts the virus from her attacker? Will you blame it on her "irresponsible promiscuity"? What it DOES do is protect your child from something deadly.



My daughters (all 5 of them) have already completed their series of injections and none of them had any kind of side effects. That few seconds of sting is nothing compared to what they would have suffered when, not IF since it's almost a given considering the odds, they got this virus.



I contracted the virus from my rapist at the age of 15. I have been through absolute hell with this with the huge number of procedures including a hysterectomy that I have had to have. I developed cervical cancer because some idiot decided that I was to be his next victim. Is THAT what you want for YOUR daughter?



It is our ultimate responsibility to give our daughters all the protection we can possibly give them. That includes protecting them from themselves and others. This vaccine does that. It is the ultimate in IRresponsibility to fail in our duties to our children in that way.

Melissa - posted on 09/30/2009

The HPV virus can only be spread by sexual contact. Cervical cancer is caused by this virus. If girls are educated to make responsible sexual decisions and don't have multiple sexual partners then they won't have the risk of being exposed to this virus. To me this vaccination is a free pass for girls to be irresponsibly sexually promiscuous. This is also society's way of promoting multiple sexual partners. It seems to make much more sense to me to teach our daughters how to have self respect so they will not want to make poor decisions that can expose them to this virus in the first place than it is to give them a shot that lets them get away with unsafe & self destructive behavior. So on that note my 2 daughters will not be getting that vaccine.

Jaclyn - posted on 09/30/2009

14 year olds shouldn't be worrying about STD's... they should be studying, playing sports, hanging out with friends... NOT HAVING SEX!!!

Keisha - posted on 09/30/2009

Hi all, My daughter is about to be 12 and I plan on getting her vaccinated. I had an abnormal pap about 5 years ago and I don't want her to have to go through having biopsies and procedures done. It can bee really painful. Do you have the full story about the young girl who died?

Melissa - posted on 09/30/2009

Quoting Sharon:

Quoting Pamela:

I will be quite honest and say that I have always been against injections because all that they do is to actually give you a small dose of whatever the disease is, supposedly in a low enough dosage to give your body a chance to build immunities. To me that is a very poor idea.

Not everyone's body is going to be exposed to a cancer risk and the fact that the medical community? is going into high schools and suggesting this SMACKS of self-righteousness on their parts! Who knows, they could simply be using this population of young women as "guine4s pigs" for their own reasons. I would NOT TRUST this "jab".

You're against erradicating polio?  Measles?  Mumps?  Rubella?  You're against saving lives?  I guess children hobbling around on crutches and swaying awkwardly is just a funny sight for some people.

 

The way a vaccine works is how it works.  That is WHY it works.  Instead of getting full blown chicken pox - you get it mildly - if at all, you don't suffer as much, you don't scar as badly and now you will most likely never get it again and if you are male - it means you will most likely NOT BE STERILIZED by catching the pox as an adult.  DAMN screw that - its the best way to fix a man!  Lets give them all the pox!!!

 

To condemn vaccines completely & utterly is ludicrous.  God forbid we should stop children from dying.  Hell no we don't want that!!!  Babies in coffins are CUTE!!!  Geezus christ. 

 

THAT said - this vaccine worries me.  Because it is new.  Because of some reports that women have become ill after getting the shot.  Yes that worries me.  My daughter isn't old enough to worry about it yet so I haven't done an indepth research on it.  In 7 years - the vaccine will be older, better tested, proven, etc.

 

I wouldn't be any happier if this had been developed for boys as my oldest is 14 yrs old.  But damn a vaccine against STDs - any std - is awesome.

 

Hey!!  When the vaccine for AIDS is developed - lets all ignore it and laugh and point fingers at the idiots who get it!!  YAY!!

 

 

 

 

i think that the new vaccines like swine flu, the hpv are bad, they are just trying to keep us populated and keep us under control. i believe they are using us our kids as ginny pigs, y not? its not their families getting it done. they already have a cure 4 aids and cancer, they just dont wanna release it then PEOPLE WILL LIVE!!! don t u c that. its all about control. the government only cares about themselves not us the consumers or our kids!!! do the reserach!!!  instead of being a smartass do sum research and see what they are putting in these vaccines and how they are affecting people,like the gulf war and the vaccines they gave them and millions died, my father died from an vaccine given him during the day , he got sick and that night passed away in his sleep . this shot was given from the military, HELLO GOVERNMENT!!! he was healthy as an ox and training to go overseas. so dont be so judgemental b4 u no the facts!!!

 

Melissa - posted on 09/30/2009

Quoting Carol:

Lorraine, EVERY thing I have heard about that vaccine is BAD!!!!! And there is NO proof that it will keep your daughters from contracting that disease or keep them from getting cancer. IN fact, there are MANY reports that are showing that the vaccines in fact have DANGEROUS side effects that take effect soon as well as later. I wouldn't allow my granddaughters to have the vaccine for anybody! Too dangerous in my opinion! I will continue to see if I can find the webiste that really discusses the vaccine dangers and post it when I find it.

i totally agree with u. vaccines aren't good, they are trying to scare everyone to get these shots and make em believe what the want. im on the same page with u. some vaccines now are deadly and they don't need to be out, just like the swine flu vaccine garbage. 

Jan - posted on 09/30/2009

I never gave my permission, I'm biding my time to see if any cases like this arise. If nothing more comes about in the next year or so then I'll probably get her vaccinated. Wish you luck. x

Melissa - posted on 09/30/2009

Quoting Rachelle:

I went to a doctor this year for my routine pap smear and for the first time I took my daughter along. She just turned 16. The doctor spoke highly of the Gardasil, but cautioned us that there are some serious side effects. She asked if my daughter was sexually active. No, my daughter believes in "true love waits". But I know the risks. We decided to wait until she's ready for this. And perhaps in the next two years, the vaccine will be improved. My husband's two nieces have gotten HPV and have cervical cancer. Just trust in your own instincts. If your daughters are not sexually active yet, take a while and learn more. Do some actual research. Not all vaccines are good. Good Luck!

thank u someone who agrees with me that vaccines aren't always good, cuz their not. people need to do their research b4 giving their kids these shots.

Melissa - posted on 09/30/2009

Quoting Christine:

If they were my daughters I would get them immunised. The positives far outweigh the negatives. How many have been vaccinated and only this one report of incident.

there are more than just one report on these vaccines.

Melissa - posted on 09/30/2009

Quoting Lorraine:

Cervical Cancer Jab

Hi all, as a mum of older children i am hoping i can get some feedback on this subject. I have three girls aged 15, 13 and 11 and three weeks ago my two eldest brought letters home from their high school about the hpv immunisation. Now i was 30 when i had my eldest so i can remember how bad illnesses like measles, rubella, polio and mumps etc really are (immunisation came out in the 70's which was too late for me and my sister) so I was determined that my children would have the immunisations and i have never hesitated in the past to give my consent for them to have whatever injections they needed to defeat diseases. I filled in the consent forms for the hpv vaccination and they are due to have their first one sometime over the next two weeks, but of course there has been that report on the tv this morning about that poor girl dying. So do i ignore the risks and let them have the injection that could save their lives in the future or should i withdraw my consent and risk them catching the hpv virus in the future. I would appreciate some feedback as to what other mums would do. Thanks, Lorraine

i think and have been doing  studies on these vaccines myself cuz i have 4 kids. i personally wouldn't give this to my child, just like the swine flu shot the chemicals they are putting in these vaccines are harmful. just like the men that got the vaccines at the gulf war, many of them died. my father who was healthier than an ox which was in the military was training 4 afganistan and he had a vaccine that day and felt sick that night and went to his bunker and that night 4 1/2 years ago he died in his sleep. i believe these vaccines is a way of the government to keep the population populated . i didnt have this shot available to me and im fine, i will no longer give my kids vaccines anymore. they already have had the ones from when they were little, but after all the research i have done im scared and it all makes since. hope this can help ...

Keci - posted on 09/30/2009

GM Lorraine! The Gardicil vaccination, as with any other vaccine is an injection of the virus/disease. The purpose is so that if the child/person does get the disease, it sort of tells their body that I have been through this already. My girls too are getting the same vaccination. They are recommending it between the ages of 9 and 24 years of age. I work in juvenile hall and I have to say that I never seen so many children with venereal diseases in my life. I would say go for it esp if you have a history of cervical cancer in your family.

Christine - posted on 09/29/2009

If they were my daughters I would get them immunised. The positives far outweigh the negatives. How many have been vaccinated and only this one report of incident.

Paula - posted on 09/29/2009

For those of you who are parents of daughters this should be very interesting for you to read. Like Rachelle says if our girls aren't sexually active it is worthwhile learning more but it certainly raised my eyebrows when I read this link. Dr. Diane Harper was the principle investigator who helped design and carry out the Phase II and Phase III safety and effectiveness studies to get Gardasil approved, she is a paid speaker and consultant to Merck, and she authored many of the published, scholarly papers about it, now publicly criticizes the vaccine that she helped get approved.



http://www.colleenhammond.com/blog/2009/...

Rachelle - posted on 09/29/2009

I went to a doctor this year for my routine pap smear and for the first time I took my daughter along. She just turned 16. The doctor spoke highly of the Gardasil, but cautioned us that there are some serious side effects. She asked if my daughter was sexually active. No, my daughter believes in "true love waits". But I know the risks. We decided to wait until she's ready for this. And perhaps in the next two years, the vaccine will be improved. My husband's two nieces have gotten HPV and have cervical cancer. Just trust in your own instincts. If your daughters are not sexually active yet, take a while and learn more. Do some actual research. Not all vaccines are good. Good Luck!

Beth - posted on 09/29/2009

here's a great article, written in a very balanced way:
http://www.takepart.com/blog/2009/03/26/...

Sarah - posted on 09/29/2009

To be clear, every vaccination has risks and potential side effects. If you research any vaccine, you'll notice that there are side effects and deaths "associated" with it. It's also terribly hard to gauge whether something is actually CAUSED solely (or even in conjunction with) the vaccine or if other issues contributed.

I don't have a daughter, but I can tell you that if I ever do, I'll likely have her vaccinated for HPV. Heck, some of the data coming out now suggests that it's helpful for men to be vaccinated as well...assuming it's approved when my son is of age, I'll have him vaccinated for it. (And I say this as a mom who is quite cautious when it comes to vaccination. We use an alternative schedule, likely won't be getting the H1N1 vaccine, etc.) While I will be encouraging safer sex practices and limiting partners, we know that isn't a guarantee that HPV will be avoided. (Partners can be infected and not know it, even those we trust can cheat, etc.) While the body can sometimes clear that infection, it doesn't always and the consequences can be serious.

Obviously, everyone gets to make their own choices when it comes to vaccinating their children. I fully support whatever decision a parent makes...whether that means vaccinating or not. But I would suggest being both forward thinking about it and really understanding the risks/benefits of vaccinating, period.

Machella - posted on 09/29/2009

I have two daughters 14&12 surpose to be haveing there 1st jabs on tuesday i dont think they will be going throw with it its is a really worry 14 year old suffers with astham very bad i feel she would be vulnerable.

Carol - posted on 09/29/2009

Lorraine, EVERY thing I have heard about that vaccine is BAD!!!!! And there is NO proof that it will keep your daughters from contracting that disease or keep them from getting cancer. IN fact, there are MANY reports that are showing that the vaccines in fact have DANGEROUS side effects that take effect soon as well as later. I wouldn't allow my granddaughters to have the vaccine for anybody! Too dangerous in my opinion! I will continue to see if I can find the webiste that really discusses the vaccine dangers and post it when I find it.

Sharon - posted on 09/29/2009

Quoting Pamela:

I will be quite honest and say that I have always been against injections because all that they do is to actually give you a small dose of whatever the disease is, supposedly in a low enough dosage to give your body a chance to build immunities. To me that is a very poor idea.

Not everyone's body is going to be exposed to a cancer risk and the fact that the medical community? is going into high schools and suggesting this SMACKS of self-righteousness on their parts! Who knows, they could simply be using this population of young women as "guine4s pigs" for their own reasons. I would NOT TRUST this "jab".

You're against erradicating polio?  Measles?  Mumps?  Rubella?  You're against saving lives?  I guess children hobbling around on crutches and swaying awkwardly is just a funny sight for some people.

The way a vaccine works is how it works.  That is WHY it works.  Instead of getting full blown chicken pox - you get it mildly - if at all, you don't suffer as much, you don't scar as badly and now you will most likely never get it again and if you are male - it means you will most likely NOT BE STERILIZED by catching the pox as an adult.  DAMN screw that - its the best way to fix a man!  Lets give them all the pox!!!

To condemn vaccines completely & utterly is ludicrous.  God forbid we should stop children from dying.  Hell no we don't want that!!!  Babies in coffins are CUTE!!!  Geezus christ. 

THAT said - this vaccine worries me.  Because it is new.  Because of some reports that women have become ill after getting the shot.  Yes that worries me.  My daughter isn't old enough to worry about it yet so I haven't done an indepth research on it.  In 7 years - the vaccine will be older, better tested, proven, etc.

I wouldn't be any happier if this had been developed for boys as my oldest is 14 yrs old.  But damn a vaccine against STDs - any std - is awesome.

Hey!!  When the vaccine for AIDS is developed - lets all ignore it and laugh and point fingers at the idiots who get it!!  YAY!!

Jenifer - posted on 09/29/2009

Quoting Sheila:  There have been apprx 25 deaths due to this shot and that is an acceptable number according to the CDC(ie. 1-100,000) but that is the acceptable number with all of their immunizations. Well, it's not for me or my daughter!

There may have been 26 deaths reported following vaccination, but that doesn't mean the two are related. If you look at the VAERS data, you'll see those deaths occurred as much as 8 months after vaccination. Some of the causes of death were drug overdose, pre-existing chronic heart condition, diabetes, car accident, viral infection etc. I don't think it is a reasonable proposition to assume the vaccine can cause someone to have a drug overdose 6 months after they get the vaccine. Considering that +20 million doses of the vaccine have been administered, it doesn't seem statistically significant that 26 (or even more) deaths may occur within several months of vaccination. (That would be closer to 1 in 1,000,000 btw) That's would be expected in an unvaccinated population.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip/do...

Jaclyn - posted on 09/29/2009

The concept that ance you are exposed to something your body can then figure out how to fight it has been around for decades. Before there was antibacterial soap and bottled water kids played outside, got cut and scraped, broke bones falling out of trees and tree houses and no one ever sued over it. Kids ate dirt and worms and never died from it! You build up immunities to the common cold by actually getting dirty! Why do you think there are things like the SUPER FLU and all of these other strange diseases popping up all over the world? People have gone completely germaphobic and have to use antibacterial wipes and sprays on everything now our bodies don't know what to do when we inhale a speck of dust and to the hospital we go! Get real... live your life... get educated about all of these vaccines and what it really means to have them given to your kids! Who ever died from Chicken Pox... NO ONE... but the laws say our kids have to have the vaccine in order to go to school... WHY!!! Vaccinating against ilnesses that can actually KILL you in a good idea as long as the treatment is safer than the disease which I don't think most of them are! Not enough time is taken for testing. The phamaceutical companies are too concerned with getting the drug out and making money. Real people don't matter anymore... just test subjects which is wrong! Their job is to find cures for REAL problems not give a false sense of security to a new generation of kids and parents!

Michelle - posted on 09/29/2009

My Daughters' (14 and 18) won't be used as Lab Rats for a Pharmaceutical Company....Research performed on these vaccines is minimal AT BEST, I refuse to inject my children with Toxins of any kind, this is just one more! IT IS INJURING AND IT IS KILLING OUR DAUGHTERS, my two will not be amongst the casualties...No Thanks.

Pamela - posted on 09/29/2009

I will be quite honest and say that I have always been against injections because all that they do is to actually give you a small dose of whatever the disease is, supposedly in a low enough dosage to give your body a chance to build immunities. To me that is a very poor idea.

Not everyone's body is going to be exposed to a cancer risk and the fact that the medical community? is going into high schools and suggesting this SMACKS of self-righteousness on their parts! Who knows, they could simply be using this population of young women as "guine4s pigs" for their own reasons. I would NOT TRUST this "jab".

Dorothy - posted on 09/29/2009

Hi Lorraine - I have four girls and this hpv immunization was of course, of great importance for me to find out more about. As with any new immunization, there are always risks, but when you look at the overall good that it does, I definitely would take that chance. I do agree that the risk of not getting the immunization far outweighs the risk of getting it.

Jaclyn - posted on 09/29/2009

Do your research... lots of research. If you really believe that your daughters getting the vaccine is worth the risk under the understanding that it does NOT prevent ALL types of HPV or completely protect them from developing Cervical Cancer, then by all means... however, please understand that HPV is transmitted primarily by sexual contact. If this is something that you feel you have to worry about at their ages that is a whole different concern! Weigh the facts VERY carefully. If I had a daughter I would NOT get her vaccinated. I'd tell her to keep her pants on!

Sheila - posted on 09/29/2009

I have done research too, No way is my daughter getting this one! I personally know of a young lady(19) had her first jab and was paralized from the neck down, she did regain movement after a few weeks in the icu, it was due to the HPV immunization. Also the CDC states that the reaction can cause death, due to an alergic reaction, my question is...what exactly is in this shot that makes them paralized, sick, swell, or die that is not in regular immunizations. There have been apprx 25 deaths due to this shot and that is an acceptable number according to the CDC(ie. 1-100,000) but that is the acceptable number with all of their immunizations. Well, it's not for me or my daughter!

Debora - posted on 09/29/2009

i know there have been women who get regular paps and had to go for cancer treatments so not all paps work so ask for the other test as well your Dr's know the name of it is just like breast screening some get missed by ma-mo`s so farther testing is important .i have tow girls myself they say it safe to give to a yes 9yr old yet then why is there a mother and father suing the company of gardasil for their 18 yrs old death here in new york city.cause of death was on fox news when drug was just out yes bled to death.she was according to her Dr in perfect health .i have seen more commercials against this shot than for it.mine had not been asked by a school nurse one is middle-school 7Th and other is 5Th grader.my child peds Dr is not even pushing it yet the sign is in office so far i have not heard one of his coworkers ask me either.do they know if yrs down the road if any birth defects could come from it like what many other shots moms got in the 1940-50,how about this they say adults can use it as well yes those who just had a baby.the only pro is possible cancer prevention which is not 100% .no one can give us a 100% guarantee on not dieing from anything .can you be sure the one giving this shot will be watching for any kind of side effects while they are in school?you say the shots that came out in the 70s are to late for you wrong try moving to say canada you would have to prove you had them or you would not be able to move there i should know since i had to prove it in 1976 at 12.so if you want them they will give them if you ask for them .they say it only works for the one type which how many types are there?to many sexually spreadable to count on one hand .did you know you have to get it more than once ?my niece told me that was what dr told her to come back twice .

Toni - posted on 09/29/2009

hi lorraine my daughter had her first jag just a few days ago when a heard what happened this mornin the first thing a said was thats it you are not getting the next 2. and she will be 13 on thurs. but after a lot of talking and some tears lol a will let her go ahead and have them as cancer runs in our family. and a dont want to loose any more family through this illness.



toni

Lisa - posted on 09/29/2009

Hi Lorraine, Education is everything. Educate yourself on the "vaccination". My precious daughters are 13 and 21. My 21 yr. old has problems with ovarian cysts. So we spend lots of time at the Gyn. About 1.5 yrs. ago a test showed positive for HPV on my 21 yr. old. We freaked. But our Dr., a very good Ob/Gyn., calmed us with knowledge and resources. Over a short period of time my daughter’s body got rid of the virus. It is a virus your body can get rid of. She still comes up negative. Our fear about the shots is that this has not been studied long enough. The FDA has allowed pharmaceutical companies to release drugs without the sufficient data they used to require. It used to take about 10 yrs to release a drug on to the market. Now it is done in a couple of years. Studies on children are new. Their bodies react very differently than adults. We have chosen to wait and not to make our daughters their guinea pigs for profit. An immunization (i.e., polio, mumps) is to prevent break out in society. Think Polio. HPV is not something I can catch (like polio or scarlet fever) from another person in the same room. And note how its is our daughters they want to inject. Not males who are giving the virus to females. This is a very personal decision. Please do as much research from reliable sources. Consider the source your information comes from in order to make an informed decision. Good luck.

Jodi - posted on 09/29/2009

Hi Lorraine, the jury is still out for me. HOWEVER, my step-daughter (who is 17) has had the vaccine. We discussed the issue of cervical cancer and the link with HPV one day, and she didn't realise she should still have pap smear tests once she was sexually active. SHe though she was totally immune to cervical cancer. PLEASE if you decide to do this, make sure your daughters are aware it does not TOTALLY give them immunity to cervical cancer, that it only prevents HPV (which is a major cause, but not the only cause). We need to make sure our daughters are educated enough that they still go for their tests regularly!!

Lisa - posted on 09/29/2009

Hi Loraine, I really wished this vacine was out there for me when i was younger. I have to have a routine smear every year for the next 4 years as just over a year ago i had severe aggressive displasia or in normal terms abnormal cells which can be pre cancer. This is the second time I have had treatment that is painful on the neck of the womb. Look what happened to poor Jade Goody. Best to look up what hpv is and how worldwidely spread the statistics are. Hope this helps

Teresa - posted on 09/29/2009

Hi Lorraine what a good question! I am sure there are a lots of mums out there who have the same dilema as you, its a tough one ,I can only suggest you talk to as many proffesional people as you can about all the side effects and the outcomes to put your mind at rest, its difficult decsion to make and only you can make it for your daughters talk to them also and let them have an input, I can only tell you that what ever decsion you decide to make it has to be the right one for your daugters . good luck

Jenifer - posted on 09/29/2009

The risks associated with the HPV vaccine are very small. The post-licensure study that was recently completed confirmed this. The risks are like any other vaccine, chance of having a fever or soreness. There is a very small increased chance of blood clots or fainting (~1 in 100,000 doses) You can read about the study results here:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=1...

As for me, I would them vaccinated if I had daughters. If and when the shot is approved for boys, I will have my son vaccinated to protect him from HPV as well as help protect his future partners from cervical cancer.

Melissa - posted on 09/29/2009

What do your daughters want? My oldest daughter (now 15) had the HPV vac's in Grade 8. We sat down and went over all the pros and cons so she could make an informed decision.

Christi - posted on 09/29/2009

I wondered the same thing. If you risk death now or possibly death later? I guess it depends on your family history. Does this run in your family? I think that this immunization is to new. I don't like trying new meds, just because the kinks haven't always been worked out. 10 years from now they will tell us it causes something else. My child was given the oral polio vaccine when she was an infant and later, I found out she could have gotten Polio from that vaccine, the injection was safer. My second child was given the chicken pox shot a couple years ago, she broke out with chicken poxs, then 3 weeks later she got them again. Now she is a candidate for shingles. maybe that shot was good, maybe not?? but I think I will be holding off on the HPV for now. Keep in mind the commercials for birth control that used to say they were great for your skin, etc... now they say causes strokes, heart attacks, and may result in death. How many people did this happen too before they changed the commercial? ok.. hope this helps. good luck in finding what's best for you and your daughters.

Katie - posted on 09/29/2009

Dear Lorraine, I hope I am not too late in responding to your question. If it was my daughter (mine is only 9) I would go ahead and have her get the immunization. My son and daughter got all of their shots and I knew about all of the risks. The risks of them not getting them always outweighs the risk of them getting them. Let me know how it goes. Good luck. Katie Tamblyn