HPV vaccines for pre-teens?
A government advisory panel has recommended that 11- and 12-year-old girls be routinely vaccinated against human papilloma virus (HPV), the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. The panel focused on 11- to 12-year-olds in part because children that age already routinely get two other shots. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also said that girls as young as 9 years of age can start the series of shots.
Would you vaccinate a child this young against HPV? Do you think having the vaccine might make young ladies more likely to be promiscuous? At this young age, wouldn't parental supervision and discussions about abstinence and safe sex be more appropriate?
I found the poll results a little shocking. I'm surprised that 73% of those who have responded say they would vaccinate an 11-12 year old girl against HPV.
posted by Carissa @ 2:20 PM
6 Comments:
At 10:10 PM, June 29, 2006 ,
Granny said...
I'm one of the 73%. Parental supervision is no defense against rape.
We'll probably have to agree to disagree on this one. I know that no matter how hard we try to instill our values, kids do make mistakes. I don't think a death sentence from a disease that is preventable should be the result.
Best,
Ann
At 11:01 AM, June 30, 2006 ,
Amy said...
I am suprised is was that low. How could anyone NOT vaccinate your pre-teen?
This isn't a common cold we're talking about, it's cancer. CANCER. A cancer that kills 3,700 U.S. women every year. It's the second most deadly cancer for women. And people want to stop the vaccine because it "might" encourage their kids to have sex? Absolutely insanely ludicrous.
This isn't God's punishment for women for having sex. It's 2006. Would you really want your daughter to DIE because she made one mistake? Kids make mistakes, that is their nature.
If you don't want them to have sex, teach them about your values and hope they heed your advice. But there is absolutely no excuse for not protecting them from a preventable CANCER. Absolutely unconscionable.
At 12:37 PM, June 30, 2006 ,
Carissa said...
I'm not saying that I wouldn't want them to *EVER* be vax'd for it. I'm saying that, for *our* family, I see no reason to shoot an 11 year old up with this particular mix of chemicals. It'll be just as effective if she has it later in the teen years. I would probably want them to have it before they left for college. I'm certainly not going to be worried about my girls having sex at 11 or 12 years of age. They will have better values than that instilled in them.
The girls are 5 and 3 now. If we had Kaylee vax'd for this at age 11 or 12, the vax would only be 6-7 years old then. To me, that isn't a long enough history to be totally comfortable with injecting chemicals into my kid's body. We will just be beginning to know the long-term effect of the vax by then. If I wait until they are 17 or 18 to start the series, the vax will then be 12-13 years old and we'll have a better long-term look at what it does and what are the good or bad effects of it.
All considered, this vax is a good thing. It can hopefully save lives. BUT I see no reason to be routinely giving it to *11 year old girls.* If it's a girl who is *at risk* and likely to become sexually active very early due to her upbringing or environment, it might be indicated to give it this early.
At 12:39 PM, June 30, 2006 ,
Carissa said...
"The panel focused on 11- to 12-year-olds in part because children that age ***already routinely get two other shots.***"
Because lets shoot them up with as many chemicals and preservatives as we can all in one day.
ICK!
Break it up for God's sake! They clump it all together like that in hopes of getting more people to get it done...not because it's necessarily best to shoot all that crap in our kids at once.
At 12:41 PM, June 30, 2006 ,
Carissa said...
If you check the poll, the numbers have actually dropped. Now (6/30/2006) it says only 64% would opt to give the vax to a preteen.
At 1:03 PM, June 30, 2006 ,
Amy said...
I just get very angry at the people who oppose the vaccine because they think it'll encourage girls to have sex. There are a host of other sexually transmitted infections to scare them with, but if we can prevent cancer, then we need to do it.
When I was in the 7th grade (that would make me 12 or 13) I had a friend who had sex on my bathroom floor. Unprotected sex of course.
As a middle school teacher in a small town, I had more students than I care to remember pregnant in 7th and 8th grade, and at least one that I recall pregnant in the 6th grade.
I hope that I teach my daughter about sex and she doesn't fall into these statistics.
But I'm not taking any chances. I'd get her vaccinated today if I could.
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