HPV jab

[Yummiemummie]

Been offered this for my year 8 DD. Anyone up to date on the medical evidence for and against? Did a google, but now feel more confused

[Torrylee]

When DD was offered this a couple of years ago I did some research and in the end asked a GP friend what he thought. His advice was to let DD have the jab so we did. I am still not entirely sure if that was the right decision. At DD's school there were a significant number of girls who didn't have it for cultural/ religious reasons. What I do regret is exposing DD to the hysteria that accompanied a large number of teenage girls having injections at the same time Given that HPV is a course of injections the drama in school that accompanied the whole exercise became something of an ordeal and has left DD with a greater fear of needles than I think she otherwise would have had.

[Amber]

The trials were carried out on 16 year old girls and the jab is offered to 12 year olds here - because girls here often take part in s exual activity early and the risks of the disease increase with early s ex. There is often one very significant difference between a 12 year old and a 16 year old girl. If you chose to wait, the jab would be available at your GP. It does not remove the need for regular smear tests. All that said, the jab from what I gather is safe and effective. Next information campaign needs to tackle the risks of HPV and oral s ex, which many young teenagers believe to be a risk free party game, without being too graphic.

Good luck with your choice.

[scary mum]

At least they are now giving the better vaccine (covers 4 strains which will also protect against genital warts) whereas to start with they gave the vaccine which only covered 2 strains (financial/political decision). I would have it given at the GP's before your DD becomes sexually active. The hysteria at school has had a serious & lasting effect on my DD. There was a call last week to vaccinate boys too.

[Yummiemummie]

Thanks all.
I am erring against it at the mo. I agree re the hysteria (thanks for highlighting it), especially as my DD is boarding. Why not do it one summer hols when she is older? She is only just 12 and very slight for her age and no where near getting into any situations as yet.
I am concerned re side effects too. So think I will wait a couple of years and then take up a catch up program of vaccinations if happy.
One thing that doesn't help in the decision from DDs point of view is that last time the girls had jabs at school (flu) many of those who had the jab were ill with a flu-like virus, many more than those who hadn't had the jab. Me being a scientist felt it was sheer fluke, perception of girls etc, but trying explaining that to a 12 year old!

[silverysea]

My DD1 was very badly affected by the at school hysteria, and has refused to have any injection of any kind, ever.

We had a totally unsympathetic response from a GP, who ignored everything dd and I said, and handed us a prescription for emla cream, (numbing) to try. She hid the cream and had counted on me forgetting about it. She has a phobia of needles, not the slight pain.

It's hardly urgent right now anyway, she is disgusted by the girls chasing boys who surround us. We don't leave our 12 year olds unsupervised and unsupported to the extent they are having these experiences without out knowledge in our family set-up. I will take her back to a different GP at a more appropriate time.

Glad to know we missed an inferior vaccine at least. I'm all for vaccination but this has been a shambles for us.

[Becky Boo]

Hi

Our DD is also being offered this jab at school along with all of the other year 8 girls. One of the mums kindly circulated the following links to parents which are definitely worth a read.


http://www.naturalnews.com/041099_garda ... ility.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.whp-apsf.ca/pdf/Ten%20Good%20Reasons%20.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Marylou]

Decided against it for both our DDs, for various reasons - not least the sense that our daughters were being used at the time as guinea pigs for some massive experiment! Not to mention the feeling that the vaccination scheme was railroaded through far too quickly, without proper research having being done into the benefits. There are reports of some girls having suffered serious side effects, yet these are covered up. It also seems impossible to find out how long any protection provided by the vaccine is expected to last. In contrast, the new meningitis vaccine - which could help protect against the only strain of this devastating disease not yet covered by existing vaccines - is considered to be not "cost-effective".

I remain open-minded though, and really would like to know if there has recently been any further independent research or findings (i.e. not pushed by big pharma or the government propaganda machine) to prove that the HPV vaccine programme is indeed effective and worth the risk of side effects. Especially from medical professionals or any parents who shared similar concerns but decided in favour of the vaccines and are satisfied that they made the right decision.

[Snowdrops]

I agree with everything Marylou's said. I too took the same decision as her, and for the same reasons

[Amber]

A doctor friend of mine allowed her DD to choose whether to have it or not. DD decided not to until she was several years older. It is, I think, almost a 'lifestyle jab'; and until the lifestyle starts to reflect the risks, there probably isn't any need to force the issue. As long as the girls understand the risks and why the jab is offered, then maybe they ought to be allowed to make their own decisions?