Some more HPV vaccine links
Howard Markel, MD, on why the HPV vaccine needs to be made widely available to all
Now back to Gardasil. This newly approved vaccine provides approximately 100% protection against the 2 HPV strains that cause 70% of cervical cancers and 2 others that cause 90% of genital warts.
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One can almost predict the hue and cry from different factions of the political landscape predicting that such a vaccine might encourage sexual activity and premarital sex not to mention the roiling social and even ethical debates over preventing STDs among not-yet sexually active children.
These debates are, to be sure, important in a democratic society. But we cannot let such beliefs silence the public health imperative of making this vaccine widely available to all.
As I think back to the meaningful Father’s Day that I just spent with my 2 daughters, I can’t think of a more fatherly way to protect them long after they cease to be my little girls and are strong, independent women than to make sure they get the HPV vaccine.
John G. Bartlett, MD, reviews the recent literature on human papillomaviruses: 4 clinical trials of prophylactic vaccines, worldwide distribution of HPV and oncogenic HPV types, and more. Nice summary of relevant background information.
The above two links via my sister. The next one via zuzu at Feministe: a Washington Post article on doctors arguing that the vaccine should be given to boys as well as girls
Bradley Monk, associate professor in gynecologic oncology at the University of California at Irvine, said the best use of the vaccine would include giving it to girls and boys and all women and men, regardless of individual risk factors.
“We need to move toward a paradigm where this is a universal vaccine,” he said in a commentary published in the latest issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Tomorrow, back to talking about the hepatitis B vaccine (and next week, I’ll talk about pertussis).