Doctor
ASK THE
Introducing our new monthly feature, Ask the Doctor. Our healthcare partners
will be answering your questions. To submit a question, please email
[email protected].
What is the purpose, benefits and risks for
the HPV vaccine? Why is it controversial?
Meredith Brazell: Recommended by
the AAP and the ACIP of the CDC, the
HPV vaccination is an opportunity to
prevent HPV-related cancer deaths
along with genital herpes. According
to a publication in the AAP Pediatrics
magazine titled “The Need to Optimize
Adolescent Immunization,” the HPV vaccine protects
against the high-risk HPV types which are responsible
for virtually all cases of cervical cancer and a large
percentage of cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal and throat
cancers. It also protects against two other HPV strains
that are responsible for 90% of genital warts. Part of
the controversy is that the lifetime risk of acquiring
HPV is 80% and several HPV strains will go away on
their own. However the vaccine is covering the cancer
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strains that can cause death and will not go away. Also
some cultures believe if their child gets the HPV vaccine,
it is giving their child permission to be sexually active
therefore they want to wait. This is not the case and the
reason to get it at such a young age is that the vaccine
is more effective and therefore requiring less doses if
given before age 15. Previously, it was not approved
for anyone over age 26 although recently changed
to 45. However, most children will become sexually
active in their lifetime and therefore recommended as
early as age nine. The most common side effects are
a sore arm, fever, headache and sometime fainting (it
is recommended to sit 15 minutes after the vaccine
to prevent this). Please see the Vaccine Information
Statement on Hepatitis A from the CDC for more
information (https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/
content/139/3/e20164186).