The Gardasil Vaccine

In June of 2006, the Gardasil vaccine, otherwise known as the HPV vaccine, was licensed for use. Gardasil provides protection against HPV 6 and 11, the strains known to cause genital warts; and against HPV 16 and 18, the strains that lead to cervical cancer. The release of this vaccine was a game changer. It is the first drug of its kind that can actually prevent a type of cancer. You would think that this would be a cause for widespread celebration – after all, it has the potential to eradicate a terrible form of a deadly disease. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong.

Gardasil is recommended to be given to girls between 11 and 12 years old, and in some cases as young as 9. It’s recommended to females all the way up to age 26. While the American Cancer Society has no recommendation regarding giving the Gardasil shot to boys and young men, The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does recommend that males receive the vaccine as well.

Vaccinating between 11 and 12 is best, because it gives the vaccine plenty of time to work it’s way through the body, but there is no reason why the vaccine should not be given later.

Think about this: If we all vaccinate our children against HPV 16 and 18, the strains that cause cervical cancer, we have the potential to eradicate cervical cancer altogether.

Garasil is not without controversy. There is a ton of misinformation going around, which has caused many parents to balk at the idea of giving their children this vaccine (Michele Bachmalnn, I’m looking at you). Parents who have vaccinated their children have reported serious reaction to the vaccine, such as death from a rare neurological disorder, after having the vaccine. The independent Institute of Medicine found there was no correlation between these deaths and the vaccine.

An article from 2014 was recently brought up in which Erin Brockovich claimed to know women whose daughters have died from the Gardasil vaccine (http://www.damemagazine.com/2014/03/17/erin-brockovich-when-women-get-together-were-tough-force-push-back). This is simply not true. Science has proved again and again that Gardasil is not deadly, and does not cause serious adverse reactions. My dear friend Lori commented on the article, which sparked many other women to chime in to show Brockovich just how wrong she was. 

Here’s Lori’s comment:

“As a cervical cancer survivor, community peer educator, and Cervivor Ambassador, it pains me to see articles and comments like this that are full of misinformation and dangerous statements. This year alone, 500,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide...HPV vaccine is far from a "dangerous and useless vaccine." It has been proven safe and social media has blown up with articles that spread fear and myth. We are poised to eradicate cancers that kill thousands of men and women. I'm happy to speak in detail to anyone interested in fact-base information on HPV vaccine efficacy and the importance of protecting ourselves from disease.”

Another popular excuse for not vaccinating their children is the parent’s belief that, at 11 and 12 years old, there is no way that their child is having sex. Well, the goal is to vaccinate prior to any sexual activity. Since HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact, a child doesn’t even need to have intercourse in order to contract the STI. And once the child, or teen, is sexually active, there is a good chance that they already have contacted HPV. 80% of the population has at least one strain of HPV. While most of these strains are harmless, and will go away on their own, it’s still a gamble.

When you vaccinate your children, be it at age 9, or 11 and 12, you don’t have to explain that you are vaccinating them against an STI if you are not comfortable doing so. You can simply explain that it’s just another shot, and leave it at that.

As for side effects, it is proven that they are no different than any other vaccine: the most common side effects are pain, swelling, itching, bruising, and redness at the injection site; headache; fever; nausea; dizziness; vomiting; and fainting. No death, no neurological disorders, nothing more than temporary discomfort.

Gardasil is a lifesaving vaccine. If we all vaccinate our children, their generation will not have to suffer cervical cancer, penile cancer, anal cancer or oropharyngeal cancer.

 

Source: CDC, Gardasil.com, American Cancer Society