HPV Vaccine

[homeschoolmom]

My upset isn't as much with the vaccine itself as it is with giving large quantities of vaccines all at the same time-- five shots is a LOT for one person (and a 20 pound one at that) to take all at once... the pain alone is pretty upsetting.

[MissScripture]

[quote]In the United States, most cases of cervical cancer linked to HPV are already prevented via programs that include Pap smear screening, with diagnosis and treatment of precancerous cervical lesions. However, a vaccine would still have many advantages; for example, it could reduce the numbers of women who have abnormal Pap smears and who then have to undergo colposcopy, biopsy and treatment.

"Treatments are low risk, but they still provoke anxiety and cost to women and their partners. Often, a woman who has an abnormal Pap smear will worry that she has cancer. In almost all cases, she will not but the worry is enormous," Koutsky says.

[/quote]
[url="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/11/021122075011.htm"]Source[/url]
Basically, what I'm understanding from this is that the main benefit of this vaccine is that people will worry less. Somehow, that doesn't seem like a legitimate reason to start giving this to 12 year olds.
Especially since I then read this:
[quote]Will girls/women who have been vaccinated still need cervical cancer screening?
Yes. There are three reasons why women will still need regular cervical cancer screening. First, the vaccine will NOT provide protection against all types of HPV that cause cervical cancer, so vaccinated women will still be at risk for some cancers. Second, some women may not get all required doses of the vaccine (or they may not get them at the right times), so they may not get the vaccine’s full benefits. Third, women may not get the full benefit of the vaccine if they receive it after they’ve already acquired a vaccine HPV type.

[/quote]
[url="http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-Vaccine.htm#hpvvac1"]Source [/url]



[quote name='picchick' post='1019531' date='Jul 7 2006, 07:13 PM']
In order for it to take affect, I heard, it needs to be given at the early adolesence stage (like 9-12).


[/quote]

That doesn't make sense, based on how vaccines work. If it wouldn't "take" later in life, you wouldn't be protected later in life. A vaccine basically exposes you to a small amount of the disease so that your body will create anti-bodies to the disease. In some cases (i.e. tetnus) the antibody production is reduced after a length of time and one must be given booster shots to insure protection. In regards to this vaccine I found: [quote]How long does vaccine protection last? Will a booster shot be needed?
The length of vaccine protection (immunity) is usually not known when a vaccine is first introduced. So far, studies have followed women for five years and found that they are protected. More research is being done to find out how long protection will last, and if a booster vaccine is needed years later. [/quote] [url="http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-Vaccine.htm#hpvvac28"]source[/url]
If you can give a booster shot later, you would be able to give a vaccine then, too.