More on HPV vaccines

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Eccentric
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Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2014 8:58 pm

More on HPV vaccines

Post by Eccentric »

I have been reading up on HPV vaccines as Dd will be due to have one this year. I wonder if anyone can shed some more light?
Firstly it appears that the Gardasil vaccine only vaccinates for two types of HPV but my reading shows that there are at least 16 strains in the high risk category. It also appears that there is some question over the length of time that the vaccine remains effective. I read that the trials used 4 vaccines rather than 3 because 3 did not offer efficacy beyond 2 years. There are also some questions flying around about evolution of the virus and whether vaccination against types 16 and 18 may make other high risk strains more aggressive.
En plus I am also wondering if, as Dd has had facial warts, warts on her hands, Verucca's and also Molluscum contagiosum (yes she has had them all over the years) whether the vaccine would be effective anyway - the contraindications say that it is ineffective for those have been previously infected by HPV (it doesn't make it clear if this is strains 16 and 18 or other strains too, although one would extrapolate that they may mean just these strains it does just say HPV.)
Then of course there are the scary bits about seizures etc, which if I was convinced it was worth having would be worth the risk.
Does anyone out there with a proper scientific head have any real knowledge and advice that can be offered? I am sure there are others such as myself who are looking for information too.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC145302/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
um
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Location: Birmingham

Re: More on HPV vaccines

Post by um »

Very interesting.

I declined as my dd had a nasty reaction to her first Men C/DTP vaccinations as a baby and so she has had no further vaccinations since (her brothers were vaccinated without these problems). She had her BCG when she was a newborn without problems, fortunately. I really do consider TB to be a real risk here in Birmingham.
She can suffer from fatigue so I am doubly cautious about vaccinations.
However, like your dd, she has suffered from, at times, quite widespread warts, including filiform warts on the face.
I understood though, that HPV was a primarily sexually transmitted infection and not identical to the infection causing warts on the skin?
We have a strong religious belief in no relationships before marriage and this also made me wonder whether such a vaccination, with its potential side effects, was entirely necessary for dd. Those who disagree are welcome to put forward their opinion!
KB
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Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:28 pm

Re: More on HPV vaccines

Post by KB »

I understand both of your concerns but I really think it is something you should take to your GP. If they can't answer your specific questions then ask to be referred or ask them to get you answers.

Sadly, previous scares over vaccination programmes have made some people wary where there may be no need. Where you have specific questions relating to your DD's medical history I do think it's best to get specific medical advice.

On the non-medical issue, we also believe that marital relations are just that. But DD could have changed her faith, especially once she left home or could have ' made a mistake' at University so we didn't consider that her faith in her early teens was sufficient reason not to get vaccinated.
Yamin151
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Re: More on HPV vaccines

Post by Yamin151 »

Do you know any doctors or nurses?
In truth their knowledge maybe no better than yours or mine, BUT, they can ring the Medical Info,ration department of the pharmaceutical company who make the vaccine and that departments whole job is to answer questions like this and provide scientific data. If you want to be truly well informed then that is the thing to do. Even your practice nurse could do this, and she will be easy to see.
My memories of selling in ******** health are relatively hazy so needs backing up, but if pushed I would say
1. Much like the flu vaccine is only active against certain strains, any vaccine against a rapidly changing and wide ranging type of virus is only going to cover a proportion of the risk viruses.
2. hpV is sexually transmitted. Having said that, there is more crossover, so for example, without detailed explanations, herpes simplex (cold sores) virus is now being identified a the culprit in many genital herpes infections.

Regarding the relationship to molluscum or warts etc, again this is one for your nurse, and onwards to medical information department, they are really good in these medical info departments, it's their job! They are legally unable to 'sell' the drug in question and are legally bound to provide you with complete data sets, not just what suits the drug in question.
Finally, I would personally think that non vaccination on the grounds of cultural abstention is fraught with risk, but that's a personal decision...........
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: More on HPV vaccines

Post by hermanmunster »

Anyone who thinks that their kids will behave in a particular way because of the parents religious or cultural views is kidding themselves.
The teen family planning and GUM clinics have plenty of kids whose parents think just like that.

Yamin you are right about HSV1, certainly appearing other than on the face. :wink:
Warks mum
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Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:30 am
Location: Warwickshire

Re: More on HPV vaccines

Post by Warks mum »

Our daughter decided herself to decline HPV on faith grounds - we gave her the option. She investigated the issues herself and decided she would opt for it when she felt she might be at risk.

During the course of our investigating pre-university vaccinations the GP spotted that she hadn't had HPV and noted this down with the comment 'not available for over 18s'.

I'm not sure if this is common practice everywhere, but it appears our GP practice wouldn't now give her the vaccination.

This may be something you might like to take into account!
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Re: More on HPV vaccines

Post by hermanmunster »

Warks mum wrote:Our daughter decided herself to decline HPV on faith grounds - we gave her the option. She investigated the issues herself and decided she would opt for it when she felt she might be at risk.

During the course of our investigating pre-university vaccinations the GP spotted that she hadn't had HPV and noted this down with the comment 'not available for over 18s'.

I'm not sure if this is common practice everywhere, but it appears our GP practice wouldn't now give her the vaccination.

This may be something you might like to take into account!
I don't think it is particularly effective in the over 18's so not given as part of the NHS programme.
ToadMum
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Location: Essex

Re: More on HPV vaccines

Post by ToadMum »

Have a look here:
[url https://www.merckvaccines.com/Products/ ... s/home/url" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]. There are links to the prescribing information and to the advice to patients.

Neither warts nor molluscum contagiosum is mentioned as a contraindication.

I haven't actually waded through the detailed info for other vaccines, but I would suspect that syncope, otherwise known as fainting, turns up as a side effect for a lot of things involving having a needle stuck into ones arm.

The vaccine is designed to be given to older women (and boys / men), but I would assume that the main reason that vaccination for over 18s is not part of the programme is that whatever the views of their parents, by that age, the proportion who may no longer be able to benefit is too high for it to be cost-effective.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
scary mum
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Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: More on HPV vaccines

Post by scary mum »

While we are on the subject of vaccines, those with DCs off to university in September - they should be offered the MenW vaccine. If you have a DC who has had a gap year, or retaken a year & is 19+ they may not get an invitation but will still be eligible.
scary mum
Warks mum
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: More on HPV vaccines

Post by Warks mum »

I'd definitely be interested in the detail behind your comment on its effectiveness in over 18s hermanmunster - apart from the obvious reasons why many wouldn't be able to benefit because of lifestyle. This certainly wasn't mentioned in any of the documentation we both researched at the time and could have made a difference to my daughter's decision.

I had a similar problem researching smear tests as a young adult. My understanding now is those who have never been s....lly active or have only had one faithful partner are unlikely to contract the type of cancer that most often shows up in a smear test. This has never appeared in any of the documentation I've seen! Presumably because the assumption is that neither of these can be relied on...
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