Should my daughter get the Gardasil vaccine?

[Doormat]

Should my daughter get the Gardasil vaccine? That is the question I was seeking to answer. My two oldest daughters are 11 and 13. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends they get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV), variants of which are believed to cause cervical cancer. After researching the matter we have decided to not get the HPV vaccinations for our daughters because the risks clearly outweigh the potential benefits.

Here are some of the facts we had to work with:

1. "In most cases HPV goes away by itself before it causes any health problems..."

2. The incidence of cervical cancer in the U.S. is extremely low, only 7.9 per 100,000 (2006-2010).

3. The incidence of mortality from cervical cancer in the U.S. is extremely low, only 2.4 per 100,000 (2006-2010).

4. According to the American Cancer Society and attributed to screening, deaths from cervical cancer declined 74% between 1955 and 1992 and continue to decline by nearly 4% each year.

5. Cervical cancer incidence is correlated with use of oral contraceptives, smoking and HIV.

6. “The rate of serious adverse events [from the vaccine] is greater than the incidence rate of cervical cancer.”

7. The vaccine contains an ingredient (an aluminum adjuvant) know to cause motor neuron death in mice. See study 1 and study 2.

8. Another ingredient in the vaccine (polysorbate 80) has been shown to cause infertility in rats.

In light those facts, would you encourage your daughter to receive the HPV vaccine?

 

[ebenz47037]

In light those facts, would you encourage your daughter to receive the HPV vaccine?

Without those facts, I told my daughter that it was her choice to receive the HPV vaccine or not, although I would advise against it. My daughter is not sexually active and is not planning on becoming so anytime soon (she's 23 now). And, she and I have been reading articles about the side effects of Gardisil. She decided against getting the vaccine, herself.

 

[Thunder's Muse]

All 3 of my kids have been fully vacinated (childhood) and my daughters will likely have this one, too.

 

[Doormat]

...my daughters will likely have this one, too.

Why?

 

[Thunder's Muse]

Why?

To give them every possibility of not getting cervical cancer.

 

[Doormat]

To give them every possibility of not getting cervical cancer.

Based on the facts, it seems highly improbable that they would get cervical cancer from an HPV infection.

 

[Poetpatoi]

My daughters will absolutely not get this vaccine! The risks far outweigh the benefits. The horror stories I've read about it, young girls' lives being ruined because of the side effects, I will never take that risk with my daughters.

 

[CabinetMaker]

My daughters have had the shots to minimize their chance at cancer. Given that their mother is a breast cancer survivor, that is why enough in our book.

 

[Doormat]

My daughters have had the shots to minimize their chance at cancer.

What did your doctor tell you was their chance of getting cervical cancer from HPV? Were you informed of the potential side effects? Did your daughters complete the three vaccine series? Did your doctor inform you of a need for booster vaccines in later years?

 

[Thunder's Muse]

Based on the facts, it seems highly improbable that they would get cervical cancer from an HPV infection.

Never say never.

 

[CabinetMaker]

What did your doctor tell you was their chance of getting cervical cancer from HPV? Were you informed of the potential side effects? Did your daughters complete the three vaccine series? Did your doctor inform you of a need for booster vaccine in later years?

They are due for boosters. Having lived through cancer once, we did not want to run the risk. And the risks associated with the vaccine were acceptably given our full understanding of what the alternative entails.

 

[Thunder's Muse]

My daughters have had the shots to minimize their chance at cancer. Given that their mother is a breast cancer survivor, that is why enough in our book.

Yep...fair enough.

Brave woman, your wife....

 

[Doormat]

Never say never.

That is why we consider if the risks outweigh the benefits. Agree?

 

[Thunder's Muse]

That is why we consider if the risks outweigh the benefits. Agree?

Sure. But I live by the motto "It could happen to me"

 

[Doormat]

Having lived through cancer once, we did not want to run the risk.

I don't see the connection. Did your doctor tell you that because your wife had breast cancer, your daughters would get cervical cancer from an HPV infection?

Here are the risk factors for cervical cancer. While a family history of cervical cancer is included, a family history of breast cancer or any other types of cancer are not.

And the risks associated with the vaccine were acceptably given our full understanding of what the alternative entails.

What risks are associated with the vaccine that you found acceptable? Did you research the ingredients before allowing your daughters to be vaccinated?

 

[Doormat]

Sure. But I live by the motto "It could happen to me"

If that is how you live, consider again the fact: “The rate of serious adverse events is greater than the incidence rate of cervical cancer.”

"Although the number of serious adverse events is small and rare, they are real and cannot be overlooked or dismissed without disclosing the possibility to all other possible vaccine recipients," said Dr. Diane Harper, director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at University of Missouri. "The rate of serious adverse events is greater than the incidence rate of cervical cancer."

If it could happen to you, it follows there is a far greater chance of you having a small and rare but serious adverse event than of you having cervical cancer which is usually not fatal, easily preventable and highly curable.

 

[Poetpatoi]

Sure. But I live by the motto "It could happen to me"

I agree with the motto, but in this case, both are horrible options, thus a tougher choice, but I'd still rather not willingly risk the vaccine.

 

[Sherman]

I personally don't need it because of my lifestyle choices. HPV is contracted by being sexually active. So for me the risks out weigh the benefits.

 

[Angel4Truth]

Based on the facts, it seems highly improbable that they would get cervical cancer from an HPV infection.

My mother did, and had to have a complete hysterectomy. She is lucky they caught it early.

 

[Angel4Truth]

I personally don't need it because of my lifestyle choices. HPV is contracted by being sexually active. So for me the risks out weigh the benefits.

Lets hope that all of our children marry only those who have never been sexually active with anyone else. Because HPV shows no symptoms in most cases.