May 24, 2018
If you could vaccinate your child to prevent cancer, you would, right? That’s exactly what the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine offers. I spoke to Independence Medical Director and board-certified pediatrician Dr. Anna Baldino about this lifesaving vaccine with the power to prevent nearly 40,000 cancers a year in the U.S.
Purely and simply, it has been shown to prevent HPV-related cancers. And the protection children receive from the vaccine will protect them through adulthood.
Most HPV infections go away by themselves within two years, and not everybody who gets an HPV infection will develop cancer. But sometimes HPV infections will last longer and can cause certain cancers or other diseases.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has asked pediatricians to offer the HPV vaccine during a child’s 11- or 12-year wellness checkup. For the vaccine to be most effective, the HPV series should be given prior to exposure to HPV.
As of today, only two doses of the HPV vaccine are needed if your child gets immunized before 15 years of age. The beauty of this vaccine is that if children receive it when they’re young enough, their immune system mounts a superb response with just two doses of the vaccine, separated by six months.
On the other hand, if you wait to give it to your son or daughter when they’re 15 or older, they will need three doses of the vaccine to build that same army of protection. Be sure to keep documentation of your child’s vaccines to ensure that you keep to the schedule and don’t need to repeat doses.
Yes, it is recommended that both boys and girls receive the HPV vaccine. When the HPV vaccine was first introduced in 2006, it was only targeted to girls. However, after four more years of research, it was determined to benefit boys as well.
HPV is transmitted through intimate skin-to skin contact.
HPV may start as a sexually-transmitted disease, but certain types of HPV can lead to cancer. Vaccinating children when they’re young protects them into adulthood — when the cancers caused by HPV typically emerge.
Some parents are concerned that it may signal to their child that they’re now allowed to engage in sexual activity. From experience, I can tell you that 99.9 percent of kids who get the HPV vaccine aren’t paying attention to what type of vaccine they are receiving.
Certain types of HPV infections can cause cervical, vaginal, rectal, penile, or oropharyngeal (mouth and throat) cancers. The HPV vaccine targets these types.
Your child may get the typical arm tenderness, swelling, or a low-grade fever. More severe side effects are very rare. This vaccine has been in use for 12 years, and its safety has been well-documented and studied. I don’t see any risk from the HPV vaccine. I see it as a real big positive. Look out for future local initiatives to encourage families to get their kids vaccinated. Because we see the statistics, and it’s working. We’re preventing cancers.
This article was originally published on IBX Insights.
I’ve been vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, paleo, gluten free, dairy-free, low-carb, and kosher, yet I fall again and again to the lure of the Reuben. As I get older, I’m learning to take a more omnivorous approach to health, but I still love writing about new trends in diet, fitness, and wellbeing.
