Stephanie Jameson, 12, sits on the exam table in the office of her family physician. She is here for her vaccine updates. She'll be getting three shots today, possibly four. It's the fourth shot that her mother has questions about. It's a new vaccine called HPV. She is told that it may help reduce the risk of cervical cancer in her daughter's future, but according to the doctor, it's important for young girls to receive this vaccine before they become sexually active.
Linda
Jameson, 35, is taken aback at this statement. She is a Christian,
as is her doctor, and this doesn't sit well with her thoughts on
how she has raised her daughter. When she shares that she is raising
her daughter with Christian morals and to wait until marriage to
become sexually active, the
doctor says to her, "You
never know. It's better to be safe than sorry."
HPV
The HPV vaccine is raising controversy across the United States, not only
amongst parents who want to know more about the vaccine, but with the
parents in states where the vaccine has become mandatory.
The HPV vaccine, marketed under the name Gardasil®, was created to feign off the Human Papillomavirus, the name given to a group of viruses that include ones that are sexually transmitted. The hope of researchers is that this vaccine will help women who are sexually active avoid contracting the virus, which can lead to cancer of the cervix.
According to the American Cancer Society, this year there will be more than 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer in the United States. Nearly 4,000 are estimated to die from this disease in 2007. This form of cancer was once one of the most common causes of death from cancer in American women, but with the use of the Pap test to detect cervical cancer, the number has declined greatly.
Causes
for Concern
In February of this year, Texas governor, Rick Perry, took extreme action
by issuing an executive order making the HPV vaccine mandatory for girls
entering the sixth grade. Prior to that, a manufacturer
of the vaccine, Merck, had been aggressively lobbying states to make the
vaccine mandatory. Parents,
as well as medical organizations, were outraged by this decision.
"It took the decision away from the parent," says Anne Thompson, a Tucson nurse and mother of two. "I feel that as parents, we should have the right to make the decision for our child, especially when it comes to their health."
Here in Arizona, the state legislature has taken preemptive measures of a different type. Jennifer Clark is a Legislative Analyst for the Center for Arizona Policy, a non-profit organization established in 1995 to strengthen Arizona families through policy and education.
"In the 2008 Arizona state budget, there is a provision that states the vaccine may not be mandatory for school attendance (at the time of writing, this has not yet been signed by the Governor). Taking this stand in the budget protects parental rights regarding the health care of their children. Unlike other mandatory vaccines (such as tuberculosis, etc.), HPV is not a disease easily contracted, nor is it airborne. Whether or not a child gets the vaccine should be the parents' decision, not the state's," says Clark.
Clark continues, "The Center for Arizona Policy agrees with Focus on the Family, who has said that the vaccine 'is a significant public health advancement which has the potential to save millions of women's lives...' CAP supports the availability of the vaccine, but opposes any mandatory requirements."
But, making this vaccine mandatory is not the only issue that is causing concern for some. It's the relative newness and lack of research that alarms others.
"Merck is one of the manufacturers of the HPV vaccine Gardasil®," says Dr. Scott DeMent of DeMent Family Chiropractic. "Merck is also the manufacturer of the fully researched and 'safe' drug called 'Vioxx'. Remember, it was distributed for a few years and then it was determined to cause stroke symptoms in about 60% of the patients taking it. The FDA stepped in and removed it from the market. So what can we expect from this so called 'safe' vaccine?'"
Dr. DeMent says that during the trial phase, the vaccine caused adverse reactions in many of the patients. "During testing of the vaccine, the FDA allowed Merck to use a potentially reactive aluminum containing placebo as a control (www.NVIC.com). Under normal circumstances, the control placebo is that of a non-reactive saline solution. This reactive placebo made it look like the vaccine was safer than it really was. Nearly 90% of the vaccine recipients and 85% of the aluminum placebo groups reported one or more adverse reactions within 15 days of receiving the shot."
Still, there is another side to this story. Many parents are concerned that the vaccine may give teens the feeling that they can be sexually promiscuous without the concern of getting a sexually transmitted infection.
"I've heard that argument," says Tucson resident Nichole Simmons, "and I'm sure that it's a valid concern. For our family, though, we talk openly with our children about sex and God's plan for marriage. I believe that my kids will make good decisions."
Simmons had a scare earlier this year when her annual PAP exam returned abnormal. The doctor told her that she had tested positive for HPV. It is in the first stage. "It was terrifying," Simmons says. "I had unprotected sex when I was a teenager, but that was 10 year ago. It didn't make sense. I cried and cried."
Simmons is a wife and mother to three children, including a five-year-old daughter. Her experience this past year has made her think long and hard about the decision to vaccinate her daughter when she is older.
"For me, it's not a 'what-if' question. It's about giving my kids a healthy future, and if this vaccine can help that to happen, then I'm okay with that."
Making
Your Decision
"Parents certainly have the right to choose whether or not their child gets
the vaccine," says Clark," and CAP does not oppose the vaccine or parents
choosing to have their daughter get it."
CAP, however, does have the following concerns. Says Clark: "The vaccine is very expensive- $360 for three doses. It is also relatively new, and there are still many questions as to the risks and potential side effects. It is an expensive, new vaccine, and parents need to research and make an informed decision for themselves."
Brad Frese, Director of Research at CAP says, "We believe that individual parents, after consultation with their doctors or informing themselves on both the risks and benefits, are the only ones to decide what is in the best interest of their own children."
To begin, start with your family doctor. Find out about the vaccine and discuss your concerns. Online, the American Cancer Society has information about HPV and cervical cancer in an easy-to-follow format.
Parents should review the information, weigh the risk and benefits and decide if they will discuss the issue with their children.
Since the decision in Arizona has not yet become mandatory, Linda Jameson has decided to wait to make her decision.
"I want to know the facts; I want to make an informed decision. That's my job as a mother, to find out as much as I can and then make the best decision for my child's future. Her life depends on it."
© 2008 Good News Tucson™
