Gardisil Shots for 13 Year Old

I don't know if you have received a response yet, but I am a gynecologic oncologist (and mother of 2). Gardasil is a vaccine against 4 strains of the HPV virus. 2 of the strains are the most common cause of cervical cancer, and 2 are against the most common cause of genital warts. in the FDA trials required for approval, it was highly effective with minimal to no side effects (local irritation really the only side effect). Administering the vaccine prior to any onset of sexual activity is expected to be the most effective, and I absolutely highly recommend that all mothers have their daughters vaccinated. There really is no downside other than cost. The impact of cervical cancer (and precancerous changes as well) is significant and can be avoided with this vaccine.
Take care.

My teenage daughter has gotten the whole series of Gardisil shots at her pediatrician's office on his recommendation (and my research; I am an internist). It is not clear yet how effective it will be but it is the best we have, as yet, to having a cancer vaccine. I have not heard of any significant adverse effects. It is important to get the vaccine BEFORE they can possibly acquire the HPV (human papilloma virus). It is not that I think my daughter is sexually active (I am almost positive she is not) but someday she will be and I would like her to be protected as much as possible.

My other daughter, age 11, has not yet gotten it but most likely will, when the time comes. You still have the choice whether to complete the series or not. But I doubt there will be any negative consequences of her having gotten the first vaccine.

I want to start by saying that everyone has a right to her own opinion... But I am OUTRAGED by some of the responses that you have received here. If this were me 10-15 years ago and my mother had the option to give me a vaccine or not, she probably wouldn't have (it obviously wasn't around then, I haven't received the vaccine, just making a point). And her reason would've been that she would think it would make me think it was okay to have sex if I had gotten it (we went through this regarding birth control). You know what? I had sex anyway. If my mother had denied me this vaccine and I later got HPV and/or cervical cancer, guess who I would eternally blame? My mother. She didn't want me on birth control. Luckily I had a RIGHT to get my own confidential medical care. The best you can do as a mother is talk to your child and be open with them and hope they make the best choices for themselves. My mother believed in abstinence and wouldn't even discuss it any further with me. I am so glad I was intelligent enough to get on birth control (even if I wasn't smart enough to wait to have sex-I'll admit that).

In my opinion, the best you can do is TALK with your child. Do all of your research and share it with her. Give her the pros and cons and let her make her decision. You have every right to have an opinion and tell her you feel strongly about it. Ultimately, I will let my daughter decide regarding vaccines when she is of age to discuss it (I have a 13 year old neice and I believe she is FULLY capable of the discussion and choice). Currently she is not able to, so I make the decision regarding her vaccines.

Hi M. -

If the grandmother is the legal guardian of your niece, then she had the legal right to agree to the vaccination, so there was nothing untoward there.

Secondly, Gardasil is recommended by the American Pediatric Association for girls between 9 and 15. The only caveat they offer is that it is unknown at this time if the vaccination 'wears off' over time. There are no concerns about the safety or short term efficacy of the vaccine.

Finally, I believe that it is critical that all girls get this vaccine. I would not wait, as the APA recommends, until a girl is on the verge of becoming sexually active. That's like buying insurance just before before your house burns down. :) My daughter will get the vaccine on her ninth birthday -- and I pray that researchers are able to continue to develop vaccines for other forms of virus-induced cancers.

J.

BY THE WAY -- a bit off topic here, but: There are several responses here alluding to a connection between mercury in vaccines and Autism. I work with autistic spectrum youth every day of my life. My son has autism.

First, there is NO PROVEN LINK to mercury in vaccines to autism.

Second, if you, like I, worked in this field, you would know that there is a GENETIC component to autism. You don't just 'get it'. I have sensory issues, my ex-husband has some social issues -- while we are both perfectly 'normal' (whatever the hell that is) we both carry some part of the autism equation that played out in our son. I see this over, and over, and over again.

Meanwhile, TB is on the rise again as is whooping cough and other nearly-eradicated childhood diseases, in part because parents are now afraid to immunize their children.

While the cause of autism is not fully known, not getting your child immunized will not protect him from being autistic. It will cause him to be at risk for any number of diseases -- some of which are fatal.

Think.

I think it's actually great that she is vaccinated against this. HPV can cause all kinds of problems up to and including cervical cancer. Even if your niece is a virgin until she's married (let's face it, in this day and age that's not likely to happen), she could get HPV from her husband, if he's not a virgin. This has nothing to do with promiscuity, it's a basic protection against cancer. I will definitely be getting this vaccination for both of my daughters when they are old enough. I read somewhere that a huge percentage (like 50% or more) of adults have or have had HPV in some form, so it's extremely common and because it's a virus, not always treatable. Vaccination could save her life - why not do it.

HPV can cause Genital warts when you did your research did you also look up the treatment for genital warts? I've heard it's not pleasant. I have a 16 yr old virgin and I talked to her doctor who is a Doctor at UC Davis medical center. He recommended the shot only because HPV is so prevalent that you don't know you have it until you have a pelvic exam. And then its too late, if I could get it I would just because the person I have been with has had other partners before. He's my only one, I don't have HPV thank goodness but still I would have the shots just to safeguard against any form of cervical cancer since my mom had precancerious cells and kept having abnormal paps.
And despite what one poster wrote you cannot get HPV because a parent had warts on their hands. Its a sexually transmitted disease the only way she got it was she had to have sex with someone. As for the lawyer, he/she is an ambulance chaser. As soon as drugs come out on the market lawyers instantly want to stir up the pot to get class action lawsuits going. They have no scruples anymore and your niece is at the age that she can legally go to planned parenthood or other health clinic and get information and birth control without your knowledge or consent. Thank good ness you raised her right that she felt comfortable enough to tell you about the shot. She made an informed decision on her own, whether you like it or not. As for follow up shots if you do let her are covered by insurance if you have it. Or you can contact merck and/or planned parenthood to see what they would charge for the other 2 shots. My daughter will be going in for her second one next month and I plan to take her in or she will go herself via literail.

I wanted to respond to something Allison K. mentioned in her response. She mentioned this vaccine is the only other preventative other than condoms for HPV. I want to stress that condoms DO NOT protect against HPV. A condom does not cover the entire genital area, and HPV can be found on these areas and transmitted when rubbing against them. I used condoms every time and I still contracted HPV. Now I have pre-cancerous cells and have just gone through a cone biopsy, which will hopefully be my cure. If not, I will either need a hysterectomy and/or radiation therapy. I only wish I had known about this virus when I was younger. I can't recommend whether or not she should continue with the vaccine. It is a personal decision that you will need to help her make. Thank you for taking the time to research such an important health decision.

We've given lots of these--if your niece is covered by Medi-Cal, CHDP, insurance--the cost--$120 EACH, not for all 3, is comvered.

It is a good shot--anything that will lessen HPV rates is a good thing, especially if you see as many side effects from them in young women as I do. The only real side effects we've seen before is a sore arm for a few days, and about 1/5 of the girls have a low grade fever/general yuckyness in a day or two.

I made sure my own child got hers--were 2 shots into the series--and she WILL be going back for the 3rd!

S.

From reading all of the responses, this is a hot topic. For better or for worse, when my 15 year old son first became an adolescent I was told that I didn't have a right to his medical record unless he permitted. I responded with "yet I have to pay for it?". The law has found it fit for our teenagers to have all and exclusive rights to their sexual health. Giving our children a strong foundation including a thorough knowledge base of all things important (sex, drugs, abuse, etc). On one hand I understand parents concern and resistance about this, on the other hand, I've known awful parents that would unleash a barrage of fury on their child if they found out about any of this.

As far as vacccinations are concerned, you'll find any number of arguments on either side. Being in the health care profession I can tell you that having these diseases is devastating. 100 years ago there was a much higher percentage of childhood deaths, many of which due to these diseases. Now, a child's death is the most rarest death in the first world countries in large part due to vaccinations. Imagine what it would be like if there had been no smallpox vaccine.

I think you are absolutely right to be concerned. Not because I'm anti-vaccination, but because I think that this is a very weird way to market a vaccination, and I do not think it's necessary, not even as necessary as rubella or measles. It doesn't prevent cervical cancer, it only prevents about 4 different kinds of targeted viruses from replicating (the rest are left alone) that are identified causes of cervical cancer and honestly, this is not a deadly cancer to get.

My daughter will not be getting this shot unless she decides, at a later date, that she wants it. Luckily we have about 6 more years before the "pressure" will be on, and by then we will have a better idea of how the vaccinations hold up over a longer time in very young children.

She will have regular visits to the gyno, since I am a western medical preventive treatment nerd.

I'm no prude, I think kids need to know all the health hazards and happiness that comes with a robust and active sex life, but I do not think that vaccinations fix everything, nor do I think they are always compellingly necessary. For example, there was one person lower down who said HPV is not the regular wart on a hand. Actually, that's all a papilloma is. A warty growth. Lots of viruses cause it. The cauliflower looking ones that can invade the genital region could grow anywhere under the right conditions, they just like mucus membranes and darkness. Lots of different ones like to grow in there, and they only show up sometimes with a swab of white vinegar and a blacklight. That's why you need a pap smear, to check for precancerous cells, which could actually be caused by any number of things (not limited to the 4 warts they can vaccinate against.) Sorry, but this is just not worth it. If they increased the vaccination strength by about 50 with no undo health problems, cool. I'd consider it. Your daughters should all still go to the doctor for paps regularly though.

And I don't think anyone has done anything "wrong" by insisting their girls are vaccinated. I think that if you have dealt with this sort of thing in your own life that you are more interested in keeping your girls safe from the stuff you faced. I just think it's a personal choice, and my current choice would be "no."

If my kid decided to have sex, maybe we will consider it at that time. But I am not going to be overalarmist and have her vaccinated for one of the most survivable cancers known to mankind that is triggered by only a few of the many types of wart viruses that have evolved to plague us. I could see a "vaccine expo" as a great way to get kids vaccinated if they were, for instance, vaccinating against against breast cancer or herpes or HIV. So, if they come up with those ones and mass market them to my kid when she grows up to the tween years, then we're sold.

I seriously do not equate gardisil with the smallpox vaccine. I also laughed when I read that someone else said you get HPV from multiple sex partners, oh lordy. When will we learn that all it takes is once? That said, I'm still not interested in my kid getting vaccinated for it.

I'm sorry but I have to say that I wish this would have been around when I was younger. It would have saved me a lot of heartache. And to those saying that it happens to girls who are promiscuous are fooling yourselves. You can tell your daughters to not have sex until they're married and even if they wait they can still catch hpv from their husbands. I have HPV and I caught it from my ex-husband. He cheated on me and brought it home to me. I didn't even know until 6 months after we had seperated. Don't punish the victims by saying we wouldn't have an STD if we weren't sleeping around. When that isn't always how it happens. While I think there should be research done before any new vaccine is given I also think it's a better idea to be safe than sorry. I would rather pay $360 in preventative care then all the bills later for the treatment to remove the genital warts (which is very painful) or to treat cancer. Just something to think about.

-Jennifer

Whether you agree with the need for this vaccination or not I am angered at the thought these are given without a parents consent! My family has had very adverse reactions to vaccines (fortunately no autism) and I personally don't feel this vaccine has been researched well enough. I don't remember the exact numbers now, but I was not impressed with the small study group, the limited number of HPV strains it protects against and the short length of time the studies were done. The FDA even when approving this vaccine admonished the drug company for not doing more thorough studies. Cervical Cancer is a very serious disease and I'm all for protecting women from it, I just don't want to find myself in the situation where I think I'm protecting my daughter only to find out later she has other serious health issues because the drug companies rushed this to market for their financial gain. People have poo poo'd this idea, but what about Thilidamide Babies? The Vioxx Scandal? DES Daughters? Until I see more studies I won't give this to my daughter. I think you were right to be scared and freaked out.

M.-

My 14 year old is due for her last shot next month. I spoke with her pediatrician about it and a good friend who is a pediatrician about it. (Both Dr.s are women) They believe in it and will give it to their daughters and I believe anything that I can do to help my daughter not get cervical cancer is a good thing. Of course this is a personal decision.

Good luck,
M.

Wow, I feel your concern and outrage. While I think the gardasil shot is in general a good idea, there is no way I would be happy if my child came home with a medical treatment I wasn't involved in. At this point all you can do is just try to keep a level head and talk to your/her doctor. Also talk to grandma and see if you can find out just what happened...and maybe if you are feeling ambitious, talk to the health fair sponsers about what permission procedures are being used.
meanwhile, good luck and keep open conversation with your daughter about your concerns. converse...not lecture, right? cuz who among us ever really listened to a parent lecture...

i think that knowledge is power, and the more knowledge she has about her sexual health, the more power she will have.

Gardisil is a great HPV prevention vaccination! I think that you should definitely continue the shot schedule. Yes, it is pricey, but it is worth it to help prevent her getting HPV in the future. I was told 80-85% of girls would have it or get it by the age of 18! Good luck!

Hi M.. Personally, I'd be outraged if my child had received a shot without my permission. The school system overstepping their authority is the main reason I chose to homeschool my children years ago.

I see there are a lot of people on this forum that have bought into the hype surrounding Gardasil. During your research about the vaccine, did you discover that Gardasil only protects against 4 of the over 100 strains of HPV, and only 2 of those lead to cervical cancer? How about the fact that research shows the virus is not only transmitted through sexual intercourse, but can be transmitted during touching or even from inanimate objects such as towels and underwear. A recent study shows that the virus was living under the fingernails of young men. Does that mean it could be transmitted through holding hands? How does Gardasil protect against that?

HPV is the most common STD out there and can be found in 1 out of 4 people. Most people are asymptomatic and never know they're carrying it. It can lie dormant for years, then suddenly show itself in the form of warts or abnormal cells during a pap smear. I know this from personal experience. I was not aware I had HPV until I had been married over 4 years.
It's gone back to being dormant (4 years now), but I know it's still there and can present itself at any time.

My personal opinion is that anyone who believes their daughter is safe from contracting HPV or cervical cancer because they've been vaccinated has been lulled into a false sense of security by the makers of this vaccine. The best way to keep from developing cervical cancer is to get regular pap smears from the doctor, have any abnormal cells checked and precancerous lesions removed as soon as possible.

please read this info here: http://www.nmaseminars.com/HPVpage.html

it's been written by dr. sherri tenpenny who has done THOUSANDS of hours of research on vaccines. she has many credentials and is not a raving lunatic or trying to use scare tactics. please read the info on her site (i'd also recommend her dvd's and books, they aren't specific to gardisil, but well worth the time).

hope that helps.

It doesn't sound right that your niece actually got a shot without a signed permission slip. Can you confirm that she did get the shot and isn't confusing it with something else that she had permission to get? Your doctor will help you sort it out. There's a disturbing trend to generally get freaked out over vaccinations, but the reality is that millions of lives have been saved, and very few people have experienced side effects. Any potential link between the vaccines and autism has been disproven -- thimerisol was removed from vaccines 3 or 4 years ago and the incidence of autism hasn't decreased at all.

Gardisil states it only prevents 4 types of Papiloma viruses... for your information there are 100 types of Papiloma viruses that can cause SERVICAL CANCER...That sounds not too promesing!!! Notice that at the end of their comercial they do state that it does not prevent from all others... and that you still need to keep on checking for it!!! So that is giving a false sense of protection 4-100 ...Hmmmm!!! And if this is not enough...Here is a recent report, besides the one of the 15 girls dying after receiving this shot:

Analysis Shows Greater Risk of GBS Reports When HPV Vaccine Is Given with Meningococcal and Other Vaccines WashingtonAugust 15, 2007 The National Vaccine Information Center today issued a new report on HPV vaccine (Gardasil®) safety analyzing adverse event reports to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The analysis gives evidence for a reported association in VAERS between Gardasil and Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/gbs.htm, with a statistically significant increased risk of GBS and other serious adverse event reports when Gardasil is co-administered with other vaccines, especially meningococcal vaccine (Menactra®). is calling on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to issue an Advisory and amend its March 12 policy by alerting the public that Gardasil has been associated with 15 cases of GBS and an increased risk of GBS and other serious adverse event reports made to VAERS when the vaccine is administered simultaneously with Menactra and other vaccines. “The precautionary principle dictates that good science should precede CDC vaccine policy recommendations,” said Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president. “Parents have a right to expect proof of safety and not assumption of safety before new vaccines, like Gardasil, are given simultaneously with other vaccines to their children. <o:p></o:p> GBS is a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system, and can cause total paralysis. “Our analysis of Gardasil reports to VAERS indicates there was a two to 12 times greater likelihood that serious adverse events, such as GBS, were reported when Gardasil was given in combination with Menactra rather than given alone,” said Vicky Debold, PhD, RN, director of patient safety. “Accepted scientific standards indicate that these findings are statistically significant and cannot be dismissed as coincidence. In particular, the available VAERS data show there was a more than 1,000 percent increased risk of GBS reports following Gardasil administration when Menactra was given at the same time.” Reported GBS and Other Serious Adverse Events found that, as of May 31, there have been 2,227 Gardasil adverse events filed with VAERS, including 13 suspected or confirmed cases of GBS (two more GBS reports were made in June for a total of 15) and 239 cases of syncope (fainting with temporary loss of consciousness), many of which resulted in head injuries and fractures. Seven deaths have been reported after receipt of Gardasil. Nearly 10 percent of all Gardasil adverse event reports to VAERS involved avoidable medical errors. A total of 1,930 reported Gardasil adverse events involved administration of Gardasil alone, and 135 adverse events involved co-administration of Gardasil with Menactra’s comparative analysis of those two categories of VAERS reports indicates that when Gardasil was given simultaneously with Menactra rather than alone, there was a statistically significant increased risk of reported adverse events:
respiratory problem reports increased by 114 percentcardiac problems reports increased by 118 percent
neuromuscular and coordination problem reports increased by 234 percent
convulsions and central nervous system problem reports increased by 301 percent;
reports of injuries from falls after unconsciousness increased by 674 percent; and
GBS reports increased by 1,130 percent
On February 21,expressed concern about the safety of administering Gardasil simultaneously with other vaccines because the manufacturer (Merck), the FDA and the CDC had not provided evidence to the public that co-administration was safe. (1) On March 12, the CDC published recommendations for Gardasil use in MMWR that acknowledged there is a lack of evidence that Gardasil can be safely administered with other vaccines, while encouraging physicians to co-administer Menactra and other vaccines with Gardasil based on assumption of safety. (2) Adverse Event Reports to NVIC:Shannon NelsonNineteen Gardasil adverse event reports from 12 states have been made to ’ Vaccine Reaction Registry involving unconsciousness and injury, convulsions, numbness, weakness and other neuromuscular and coordination problems and GBS. Shannon Nelson, 18, an area athlete, musician and artist entering college reported to that she received HPV vaccine (Gardasil), meningococcal vaccine (Menactra) and chicken pox vaccine (Varivax ®) simultaneously on June 21. Symptoms of tingling, numbness and muscle weakness began within a week and progressively got worse. By July 3 she could barely walk or raise her arms. She was hospitalized, paralyzed with GBS on July 5, and spent 22 days in the hospital. “Before the shots, I ran six miles a day,” said Nelson. “The doctors told me that I might have been put on a respirator if I hadn’t been in such good shape,” she said. “I am out of the hospital now and getting a lot of physical therapy. I just want to go to college and do the things I did before, like play the guitar and draw or even just be able to smile. My Mom and I wish we had known about HPV vaccine risks, especially what could happen if I got other vaccines at the same time.”To view a copy of report on HPV vaccine (Gardasil) safety, go to http://www.nvic.org/Diseases/HPV/HPVHOME.htm. To report a vaccine reaction, go to https://www.nvic.org/report/reaction.htm

Here is a report that states what causes Cervical Cancer & that condoms may also prevent HPV if used correctly: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_2X_What...=

I have Kaiser, and when my oldest turned 13, I was told the he was now able to make his own appointments (I could no longer make them on-line for him). In light of this, I would not be shocked if he was allowed by Kaiser to get injections without my consent. I agree, it does seem quite odd that the physicians are allowed to keep parents in the dark about the health of their own children when these same parents are financially and legally responsible for these kids!

M., I am so so sorry. I would hate to be in your position. I know reading a lot of these responses might be freeking you out even more or maybe even giving you some comfort. (Sigh) This drug is unfortunately too new for me to administer to my daughter. Like every new discovery, there are many more to be made. They (the makers of Gardisil) do not know what the long term effects of this drug will actually be because it takes years, even decades to fully understand a new discovery. At one point they thought murcury was ok to put in vacines...oops, well that caused a bunch of problems many years down the road. And I know I got some of those bad vacines as a kid. Truth of the matter is HPV is an awful virus just like many others, but it is preventable and treatable with conventional methods that do not require vacination. Plus there are many different strains of HPV (over 100 of them). Did you know that there is a strain of HPV that causes the common wart? Did you know that HPV is linked to other virus strains like HSV and EBV? Viruses are constantly mutating. Even if the drug is completely safe, the HPV virus that causes cervical cancer today could mutate by the time it reached your neice at her sexually active peak and thus not work at all. The HPV virus that causes the common wart could also cause cervical cancer later down the road. My best friend has HPV and HSV both of which she contracted as a child. HPV from one of her parents (I can not remember which one) who had common warts all the time when she was growing up and HSV from her mother who constantly had what we refer to as cold sores. Granted it is not genital herpes but rather the less reactive kind, however these two viruses could wreck havick on her later during her life. She has had one sexual partner ever (I am not exagerating) of whom she is married to and he likewise was a virgin when they met. Is he at risk for contracting these two viruses from her? DEFINATELY. Her family has a long history of cancer. Her father died of cancer when she was 15. Would she give Gardisil to her daughter, NO! Because we simply do not know enough about it. Good luck M. and if anything lobby for California to put a cap on young girls rights to conscent to medical treatment without parental or guardian notification.

I would be very angry about my daughter getting ANY shot without my knowledge/permission. If I understand correctly you are the legal guardian of your niece and the Grandmother present was the legal guardian of your niece's friend. If that is the case I would speak with the Grandmother who allowed this and contact whoever ran the health fair to complain. Of course the drug company wants to start as many kids as possible on the shots so more girls will continue with the rest of the series. In our country drug companies are making far too many choices concerning our health. If you research this vaccination there is lots of conflicting opinions as to it's safety and effectiveness. While I'm sure your niece will be fine, I would always research any health decisions throughly before making a choice for my family. There is no way I will trust private companies and our government which panders to them to provide me with truthful and complete information.

My 15 year old daughter just got her 3rd and last shot. She's fine.

I had cervical pre-cancer that I had to have surgery for when I was in my 20's. I was pretty sexually active and did (do) have the HPV virus. Fortunately it wasn't cancer and I was able to bear children afterwards. I might not have been so lucky.

So I made darn sure my daughter wasn't going to get HPV. (She's not sexually active yet I'm just getting it over with.)

Can you tell me what school health fair it was? Did the grandmother approve the injection? I think if the grandmother approved it that was considered "parental consent".

They absolutely can't give a sgot without your permission and sge needs to hsve the followup shotv to be effective. The second shot is supposed to be 4 mos after the first one. My daughter only needed two shots. We went to her doctor and discussed it to which the doctor said she had given it to her own children as well. I would pitch a fit at the school about this happenening without your permission.

HPV is an STD you get from having too many sex partners. HPV can cause some cervical cancers. If you have ever seen the commercial for Gardisil it specifically states that Gardisil does not protect from all types of cervical cancer and doesn't always prevent HPV. When the commcercial FIRST came out I talked to my OB/GYN about HPV and the vaccine. He told me that if you're not having sex with multiple people (IE married or a young teenager) it's not a necessary vaccination. Your best bet is to talk to her doctor about it, but as a woman and a mother of a daughter I don't see how this vaccine is necessary in MOST cases.

Good for you to do some research. There are some dangers. It hasn't been widely publicized, but several girls have died after receiving this. I wouldn't give it to my child. Best to you in making a decision that is right for you.

I also work in Health Care and agree with what Ann B wrote. Gardisil is the only preventative treatment for HPV infections other than using a condom. Some day your niece will become sexually active and there's no guarantee that she won’t be exposed (even from partner #1). If you haven’t already had “the talk” you really need to. If your niece understands what this shot is protecting her against then she has given at least some thought to the fact that sex will be a part of her future. Try not to stress and just answer her questions.

As for the permission issue. California law states that minors 12 years of age and older can consent to both preventative care and treatment for STDs. The school should have informed you, as a courtesy, that this would be available at the health fair that way you could have discussed these issues with your niece. But ultimately it was her choice. Be thankful that she felt comfortable telling you about it, even if it was after the fact.

An after thought:
As Julie H said condoms are far from perfect in their protection against HPV. I should have added that earlier.

One more add on and I'm done:
Gabby said that there are "100s of forms of hpv that cause cervical cancer". That's not true. There are 100's of forms of HPV but only a handful have been linked to cervical cancer. Guardisil protects against 4 forms of HPV 2 of which are responsible for 70% of all cervical cancer in the US. The other 2 cause genital warts (90% of all US cases)but have not been linked to cancer.

Hi M.,
I plan on having my daughter get the shot next time we go to the doctor. It is recommended that girls get the shot before they become sexually active. Emphasis on the word 'before'. It can help prevent cervical cancer. When I was in my late twenties a boyfriend passed on genital warts to me, and I not only had to endure the painful and embarassing procedure to have them removed, but have lived with the fear of cancer ever since. I don't want my daughter to have the same fear sometime in the future. I wish the shots had been available for me.
Although 13 seems so very young, every year middle schools are helping a few girls this young who become pregnant, so authorities are concerned with getting the shots out to girls this age. Our pediatrician has also emphasized with my daughter that she has the right to see him without me, and has interviewed her about her life style after asking me to leave the room. I'm OK with that, because even though I am very confident that she is not yet sexually active, I know her well enough to know that she will probably not want to tell me when she decides to take that path, so I want her to know that she can get 'protection' when the time comes.
Your daughter has probably made what she feels is a very adult decision about her health. She should have discussed it with you and your doctor first, but at least she is trying to take care of herself.
Good luck, and give her a hug.
B.

I don't want to alarm you further after the fact, but I would like to help you in your search to be better informed about this. I assume she'd be needing more follow up shots, according to the clinic, so you'll be armed with some data when that comes up. Please check out the following website: http://www.articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/20...

I also worry that some girls will get a shot and think they can have unprotected sex without worry, and that worries me because there are so many things they can catch, aside from the tiny percentage of hpv viruses under this umbrella. Sometimes people take greater risks than they would otherwise because they think one small preventative measure should cover their butts. Not so.

I don't always agree with Dr. Mercola on diet and nutrition issues, but he often has some very sensible things to say, and he gives access to a lot of very interesting clinical studies being done. The above mentioned studies will interest you, and I hope you'll share it with your niece's peers and their folks. This is definitely an issue that needs more balanced discussion in schools and at these clinics, which it sounds like are pharmaceutical recruitment stations rather than public health resources. Best of luck to both of you. I hope she doesn't have any adverse reaction.

The HPV shot is actually great protection for your niece. I work in healthcare and we provide this vaccine to many girls. In response to one of the other comments you received, of course it doesn't protect against all strains of the the human papilloma virus (HPV), but this does protect her from the several most common strains of the HPV virus, 2 of which can lead to precancerous cells and 2 that lead to genital warts. If I had the choice to be able to receive a vaccine to help prevent cancer, you bet I would get it. Yes, it is pretty expensive; however, the there is a patient assistance program through the manufacturer (Merck) that is available to those who qualify. I would ask her doctor about it. As for her receiving the shot at the health fair... if her grandmother is her legal guardian, then she can give the OK for her to receive the shot.

M.,
I just found this article online.
http://www.naturalnews.com/Report_HPV_Vaccine_0.html
Sounds like you have a lot on your plate. Good luck with everything.

Hi M.,

My daughter, now 18, has had all three vacinations. However, her pedi stressed how important it was to make sure she received them on the dates they are due. It is not like other vacines that if you receive it a month late not a big deal. Because it is so new it was very important to receive them when due in order to insure that it would work. I do not regret makeing that choice considering genital warts are on the rise along with every other STD. Even though my daughter is still a virgin and plans on it till she gets married does not mean the man she marries did not linger and unfortunately most do not know they have HPV until it surfaces. So, in my mind anything that might save my daughter that agony...go for it! I personally had cervical cancer and it was not caused by the HPV virus. So, it is still possible to get cervical cancer and no you are not able to cover all cervical cancers with this shot, but something is better than nothing. So, go easy, approach it in a positive manor that maybe she was just looking out for her health which is sometimes difficult to get a 13 year old to do. :-) Good luck and keep up the good work at raising a teen ager.

Hi M.,

I think Gardisil is a great thing. I had hpv and a cancer scare with it many years ago. If Gardisil had existed then, it would never have happened. I understand your concern about your daughter getting it at a young age and w/o your permission, but I think it's well worth the money if you can swing it and an indicator your daughter is interested in taking care of herself. On the other side, I think a conversation with her about opening up lines of communication between the two of you might be a good idea.

Best wishes,

L.

It sounds as if you are doing a great job of raising a child who knows her mind and is proactive about her health. I plan to have my 12 yo daughter vaccinated against HPV as soon as I have the chance, and my sons if the doctor will do it. This is a disease that we are able to protect our children against before they become sexually active, as teens are prone to do, and to protect both themselves and their unborn children against. $120 is high, but nothing compared to the costs involved once you have the disease. Brava to you and your niece!

Hi M.,

Let me start by saying that, after following my gut instinct, I decided to have my 14 year old vaccinated with Gardisil. She tolerated all three shots fine, they didn't cause any reaction that we noticed. That was 6 months ago. If her grandmother is her legal guardian than she would legally be able to authorize the vaccination.
Like with all vaccinations, I would do exactly what you're doing and get as much information as you can, for your piece of mind as well as your niece and her grandmother. One has to follow their own instincts on vaccinations. I do think there are questions that haven't been answered and you have to make a value judgment based on the research available vs the risks of exposure to the virus and possible illness.
Good luck!
T.

I have a 13 year old, I would never give my permission for this shot, and I would sue whoever gave it to her. But didn't you say her grandmother was her guardian and was with her?

Here is some info on the Gardisil vaccine that everyone should read before getting this vaccine for their daughters:

http://www.nvic.org/Diseases/HPV/HPVHOME.htm

J.