I would advise against it, and only because a friendwho I ran into at a reunion and who works for the CDC, is NOT doing it for her own child, and she knows more than they are letting out to the public.
I personally chose not to for my kids, before I talked to this longtime friend, but I was amazed that when I saw my friend, and it has been along time, I asked her if she got her daughter the shot and her response, with eyes wide open was "NO WAY", and then said, there is alot more to it, do your research, you can find it all on the web. I told her I did that already and decided not to, and she said, "I'm so proud, all parents should do this, but they don't" and then they want sympathy when the outcome is bad.
" just my Opinion" LOL
The law tries to force
The law tries to force parents in some states to get the shots, even though there is still much controversy about the risks, side effects, effectiveness of the shots, etc. When we lived in Virginia, by law girls HAD to have the series of shots (3 shots given over several weeks) before being allowed into 6th grade in the public schools. But they did offer a waiver for certain reasons (including religious objections to medical treatment.)
I asked my daughter's doctor and even SHE said there is no way she would give her child the shots until A LOT more testing had been done. There is no data whatsoever that the 'protection' the shots gives lasts more than 5 years, and Merck (the maker of the drug) was telling doctors that girls / women would probably need to be 'revaccinated' ever 5 years. Also, there were no long-term studies done on the effects of Guardacil on young girls --- wo who knows what horrible things might happen to them down the line? Remember DES, Thalidymide, Fen Phen, Vioxx, etc?
Last, my doctor said the shots only protect against certain FORMS of the HPV virus -- so even with the shots the risk is still high. She suggested instead teens and women get regular pap smears that test for abnormal cells (which lead to cervical cancer) because it is one of the most treatable types of cancer if caught early.
That beats the heck out of making my daughter a lab rat for Merck!
New to AZ --- and missing autumn leaves and the smell of apple orchards!
I am really skeptical about
I am really skeptical about the actual benefit of this shot.....it seems very "new" and if I had a daughter I wouldn't feel comfortable with her getting it. We don't know enough about the long term effects. People need to do their due dilligence and not be snowed by all the hype from the pharmecutical company.
i've been against it from
i've been against it from the start and have even posted that on this board many a times.
The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.
~ Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915)
No, my girls will not get
No, my girls will not get this shot. There is no clear cut evidence to suggest otherwise. I have read more bad than good. Some of the effects of this drug are not good.
I remember hearing that Texas is a state that requires this shot for girls. Parents were outraged because the links from the drug maker to the state administration were to comfy. Something about being stock holders in the corporation.
I agree, research this and make an educated decision. I do have friends who argue with me about this, but it is a personal decision. The only people who are "in danger" by not getting the shots, are my daughters.
KarilouMomof2 is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Tempe. Her daughters are 9 and 6.
At my well check two years
At my well check two years ago my doctor was all hyped about the shot and said she got it and I should. I am ashamed to say I did no research and just got the shot. After research I decided NOT to get the shot for my four daughters. But, ya, I got the shot.....
Jennifer is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com and mommy to four beautiful girls who range from 9 to 4 years of age.
I did no research either and
I did no research either and have had the first 2 of the 3 shots. I did not get the 3rd due to some of the news stories that came out about young girls dying after being given the shot. I just hope I have not screwed something up for me since the series of shots was not completed.
It is not like me to just do something like that without researching and I trusted my docs opinion. You live and learn and I will definetly do more research before jumping on the bandwagon.
I'm going to respectfully
I'm going to respectfully disagree. Almost all of the negative press is the result of and/or funded by conservative groups who see the vaccine as permission to be sexually active. They pressured the FDA to not release it; now, they're doing their best to trash it.
If you're determined, you can find a horror story to defend almost anything. If the body part in question wasn't a cervix, there wouldn't be any controversy.
My only issue is with the commercials, and that's my English teacher talking. It's "one fewer", not "one less".
Actually, much of the
Actually, much of the negative info is coming from Physicians and (not surprisingly!) lawyers who are already licking their chops at the thought of mass lawsuits against Merck. This is from a Jan. 25, 2008 article on PWA (website for Trial Lawyers):
"Gardasil has been linked to the deaths of two women in Europe, prompting more concerns about the controversial cervical cancer vaccine. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gardasil in 2006 to prevent against four Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) strains which are responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases. The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) said one of the young women who received Gardasil died in Germany, the other in Austria. No ages have been released.
This week’s deaths follow the deaths of three other young women—ages 12, 19, and 22—who died in the U.S. days after Gardasil was administered, with 1,700 other patients suffering adverse reactions."
And this is from a Feb. 2007 Fort Wayne News article about how Merck is pushing the 'mandates' for this through as s HUGE cash cow for them:
"Diane M. Harper, a lead researcher, scientist, physician, professor and former director of the Gynecologic Cancer
Prevention Research Group at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth Medical School who spent 20 years
developing the vaccine for human papillomavirus says the HPV vaccine is not for younger girls, and that it is "silly" for
states to be mandating it for them. Internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field, Harper does not believe there
has been adequate studies documenting the vaccine’s safety for young girls saying, "Giving it to 11-year-olds is a great
big public health experiment.”
So again --- do what you want with YOUR daughter, but mine will NOT be getting these shots any time soon!
New to AZ --- and missing autumn leaves and the smell of apple orchards!
I was going to say - I
I was going to say - I haven't read much negative information on Gardasil that looks like it comes from conservative groups - the ones expressing concern are medical professionals.....a few that aren't in the pocket of pharmaceutical companies. It IS a huge moneymaker for them....people don't realize how much power the pharmaceutical lobby has.
I agree with Miriam - if you don't mind allowing your daughter to be a lab rat for Merck, then by all means, go ahead....but if I had a daughter she would not be getting this shot.
We're probably destined to
We're probably destined to agree to disagree on many topics, MirianVS. I hope we can continue to do that in a civil manner.
There are thousands of girls and young women who have gotten this vaccine. Yes, some of them developed complications (way less than a fraction of 1%) -- and that's because their physicians didn't do due dilegence before giving them the vaccine. Dr. Harper .. well, there are a number of good reasons why she's the "former" Director, and probably a number of reasons that she hasn't been picked up by any other medical school.
I don't, personally, think that the folks at the FDA are incompetent. I'm also pretty sure that, if the vaccine was really dangerous, it'd be a hot topic in the news.
Well - possibly it will be a
Well - possibly it will be a hot topic in the news in the coming years......my biggest concern with the vaccine would be around long term implications......and I don't think it has been out long enough to know exactly what those will be.
Didn't it take a while to discover how dangerous Phen-phen was? As far as the FDA goes - I never underestimate the propesnsity for corruption when dealing with an arm of the federal government.
I'm happy to see so many
I'm happy to see so many moms are doing their research. We really can't just sit back and believe everything we hear. We need to read up on things ourselves and do what we believe is right for the sake of our children. I also am not in favor of the Gardisil vaccination, and I do not plan to have my daughter (or my son for that matter) vaccinated for HPV. The fewer drugs we pump into our kids, the better.
Hobbymommy, 38, is a discussion leader from Mesa. She is a happy stay-at-home mommy to a 3-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.
Did she give any specifics
Did she give any specifics to why?
My doctor said she thought
My doctor said she thought it was a bad idea to give the shots to young girls because:
1) There is no long-term research on what potential problems girls who get the drug so young might suffer;
2) A routine Pap smear can detect abnormal cells (a precursor to cervical cancer) and with early treatment, cervical cancer is one of the most treatable cancers;
3) Gardasil only protects against SOME forms of HPV, not ALL so the protection is limited at best;
4) Merck itself says there is no indication that the protection lasts longer than a few years, so even those who get the shots will probably have to get them over and over again every 5 years, so age 12 is awfully young to start; and
5) There have been SOOOOOOOO many drugs given the OK by the FDA --- only to be pulled off the market later for horrible side effects or even deaths. The risk / reward is not worth it in her opinion.
She also thought this had MUCH more to do with Merck's lobbying efforts (and future profits) than true healthcare.
And I think she's exactly right!
New to AZ --- and missing autumn leaves and the smell of apple orchards!
she did give more details to
she did give more details to me, but I feel I have given enough, and it's interesting if you noticed the commercials aren't being played as much and alot of Dr. arent really recommending it the way there were when it first came out. Society needs to read between the lines on a lot. I won't be surprised if in the next year or so the shot is recalled.
" just my Opinion" LOL
I still plan on getting my
I still plan on getting my girls vaccinated. The reality is - they are much more likely to contract HPV and Cervical cancer than to have a reaction to the vaccine. Cervical cancer is devastating - and i certainly don't want my children to have to face contracting it if I can reduce their chances.
How about teaching your
How about teaching your daughters not to be permisious and teaching them abstinance. And then when they are 18, they can make that choice themselves to get the shot..
Or maybe if your kid has a reaction and is crippled by it or suffers devestating and lasting complications, you will feel fine telling them that, YOU figured they would be sexual acitive in ms or hs and you can live with these complications. Hopeful their will be none but, if your willing to smack your hands together and say "that's they way it goes", then you have to live with yourself.
" just my Opinion" LOL
Wow different drum - I'm not
Wow different drum -
I'm not in any way advocating premarital sex, and I really don't expect my daughters to be promiscious. In fact, I preach abstinance! However, realistically - it's not my girls I'm worried about. It's their future partners...
If they only ever have sex with one guy - There's the possibility that he's had sex before - with at least one person. That opens up who his partners had sex with before...
yada yada yada. Therefore - my daughters are at risk even if they only ever sleep with one person in their entire life.
Please don't be judgemental and think I'm raising little tarts who sleep around. It's pretty offensive to me that you automatically assume that from me wanting to (potentially) save my girls lives!
;-)
Sorry, I guess I just hear
Sorry, I guess I just hear it from parents all the time about how our kids are going to have sex before marriage all the time. But I waited, my sisters waited, and I have a 19 yearold who is commited to waiting until marriage and her 1st boyfriend he is 23 is committed to waiting until marriage so it is possible. And anything is possible through Christ.
accept my apologizes.. I just dont think there is enough info on this shot to but our childrens lifes or their reproductives systems in jeopardy.
" just my Opinion" LOL
I'm with you, mamalmur.
I'm with you, mamalmur.
Advocating abstinence is terrific. Thinking it's going to happen is not realistic. I just don't think that the consequence of deciding to have sex as a teenager ought to be cancer.
It is realistic to think it.
It is realistic to think it. It's called having Faith and Trust, but then that only happens if you are not part of this world and the trash that this world teaches.
And there is consequences in everything. A kid who decides to go to a party and have a drink could kill an innocent person or themself or have to live with crippling affects.. Is that fair? Life isnt fair.
" just my Opinion" LOL
How's the view from up
How's the view from up there, differentdrum?
The reality is that, no matter how strong our faith, our kids have to slog through their teenage years in the world as it is, and good kids occasionally make bad choices. If 25% of teenage girls in AZ already have an STD, then how many more are also sexually active?
Would I want my daughter to wait? Absolutely. Can I do anything, really, to make her wait? No.
This is interesting. We were
This is interesting. We were just talking about this at my nieces volleyball practice tonight. One of the girls on the team, I think she is 14, is having alot of problems with her thigh, and the mom was saying that she developed this after the 2nd booster of the vaccine. The girl isn't going to be able to participate in the championships and will sit the sidelines. The mom held back tears as she shared the pain her daughter is in and was in when she recieved the 2nd shot. The girls jump ability isnt there anymore without pain and she was the teams top outside hitter. The mother was just telling us that the doctor doesn't recommend the 3rd booster, until further research is done.
I don''t think I could live with knowing that I chose to do this to my kid until proper and sufficient research has been done.
I wish DD could share more, but your friend probably told you in confidence or just enough I guess that you felt the need to post this. Thanks for sharing. My daughter will not be recieving this shot anyway. I believe in teaching of morality and the Bible. Plus if you already have cerivical cancer in your family this shot will do nothing for you, and if it's only to prevent a STD, then parents need to step up and teach their children about self respect and respect for others and the consequences of sex before marriage.
just2nomore, you are correct
just2nomore, you are correct cervical cancer can run in your family. There are hundreds of strains and the shot protects only against a four, which are the strains that are sexually transmitted. I learned this through research I did after I recieved the shot for myself and will not be getting the shot for daughters anytime soon. If you think about it the shot is recommended up until the age of 24 or 25 why should a child need it so early? My daughters will be taught all of the consequences of sex at a young age and pre-marriage.
Jennifer is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com and mommy to four beautiful girls who range from 9 to 4 years of age.
...just a thought - (and by
...just a thought - (and by the way -my daughters are taught the consequesces of sex at a young age).
But what about rape? If they are (God forbid!) attacked by someone. Can you guarantee that the perpetrator is HPV free?
And I hope you ladies know I'm playing devil's advocate here- we need to weigh in on both sides :)
You have a good point
You have a good point mamalemur, we do need to weigh in on both sides hence a discussion forum. There is both a possibilty of an attack and there is also the possibilty of our daughters not listening to us and having sex at an early age. I am just going to wait until my daughters are older and there is more research. My daughters are all 9 and under right now so I have some time. I think the majority of us were taught abstinence and preach it but Lord knows that's not always the way things pan out.
Jennifer is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com and mommy to four beautiful girls who range from 9 to 4 years of age.
Just to clarify, what really
Just to clarify, what really upset me about the Gardasil law was that the government was trying to FORCE me to get this for my 12 year-old or she wouldn't be allowed back into school. Sorry Uncle Sam, but I am her PARENT and it is up to ME to decide what is right for MY child.
This is NOT the same as the gov't demanding vaccines against polio, measles, etc. because chldren can contract those diseases from one another just by being in close contact. But you don't get ANY type of cancer from just sharing a classroom with someone who's afflicted so there is no immediate public health concern, especially at age 12!!!!
It was upon doing further research that I learned of the many problems with the shots, including (and most alarming!) the lack of long-term research on harmful side effects and if the shot would even offer protection for more than 5 years. That's when I also learned that in Virginia, Merck stood to make over $54 million from the law MANDATING that all 6th grade girls get the shots --- just for that one state!
My daughter's doctor agreed and said she too would refuse to let her child be vaccinated at age 12. Maybe somewhere down the line --- when more research is available -- but not now.
New to AZ --- and missing autumn leaves and the smell of apple orchards!
what about HIV or Hepitatis.
what about HIV or Hepitatis. All I meant from this is to truly think about the consequences that can come up from the shot. Can you live with what may be found later on about this vaccine..
It's interesting that parents post about ear piercing and other stuff, that they should let their kids decide. Yet with something like this, were there is not enough research about the life altering effects that it will have later, parents are just willing to make their own daughters as ginny pigs..
I suppose it wouldnt hurt you to go get the shot to with them, that way you can say you were willing too.
" just my Opinion" LOL