<p>Tomorrow D will have a doctors visit and will receive any vaccines she needs for college. Should we add gardasil?</p>
<p>Did she not get that vaccine when entering middle school?</p>
<p>When D got that several years ago, there were 3 shots in the series and they had to be spaced within certain windows of time. Is that still the protocol? If so, you’ll want to plan for that.</p>
<p>But generally speaking, Yes. Why in the world not??</p>
<p>From ABC news:
According to Dr. Joseph Zanga, chief of pediatrics at the Columbus Regional Healthcare System in Columbus, Ga, Gardasil does not prevent women from contracting HPV in every instance, that many people who are infected will spontaneously rid themselves of the virus, and that routine pap smears are still the best prevention against cervical cancer. </p>
<p>From my own doctor: there are some problems with the vaccine–mainly neurological ones, but some deaths, too. It hasn’t been widely used and studied. She said she was waiting on it for her own D, and we are skipping it, too. I could cite scarier stuff, but I don’t want to be a panic-monger. Just decided for us, benefits did not outweigh risks.</p>
<p>We aren’t anti-vaccine at all. Our kids got all their shots, I just felt this one was a bit untested and they aren’t even sure how long it will last; in the end the girls will still need pap smears to check for cervical cancer, so I will recommend that they have yearly check ups and practice safe sex.</p>
<p>I’m still on the fence on this. I read it only catches 60% HPV, is that correct?</p>
<p>I’m a yes. Both my girls were vaccinated, no issues.</p>
<p>60% is better than 0%, but they still need to practice safer sex, imho. (no such thing as safe sex, just safer)</p>
<p>I’m also a yes… There were three shots in the series when I got it, and I think they were spaced 6 months apart (if I remember correctly)…</p>
<p>I am in the yes column. My two daughters were the first to receive the vaccine when it reached my office. I was an early adopter as a GYN. It is effective against 4 subtypes, those 4 represent 95% of the cases of genital warts and 80% of the cases of cervical cancer, vaginal cancer and vulvar cancer. 16 and 18 cause the majority of cases of oral cancers and anal cancers. There are over 15 subtypes of the high risk group of HPV, but 16 and 18 cause 80% or more of the cases. And the vaccine has been shown to be 100% effective (yes 100%) against types 16 and 18. There might be some cross protection against the other types. </p>
<p>My office has administered thousands of doses. Does two is given 2 mos or later after dose one, and dose three is given 4 mos or more after dose 2. It takes a minimum of 6 months. It is NOT effective if a patient has already been exposed to 16 or 18. With teens having oral sex and outercourse, waiting until age 18 means some will already have been exposed, even though they have not had “sex” ie vaginal sex.</p>
<p>I had it. I have a history of cervical cancer in my family, and since I was not (and still am not) sexually active at the time, my doctor strongly recommended it. I had no problems with any kind of side effects, nor did any of my friends. Most of us opted for the vaccine.</p>
<p>I’m a big yes, both my daughters are fully inoculated. As someone who has had two bouts of pre-cervical cancer, the pros far outweigh potential cons.</p>
<p>YES!!! She can get the first two doses this summer and the third dose when she comes home for Christmas. If she isn’t coming home, I bet her school’s clinic can offer the last dose.</p>
<p>Yes, have her get the shots… My Gyn is so in favor that his own D was one of the first to get the vaccine.</p>
<p>Both my Ds have had it, no issues.</p>
<p>Did anyone notice, they have recently started advertizing boys should get the shots too?</p>
<p>My oldest daughter has auto-immune issues and all kids of other medical problems; she opted out of the vaccines. She and her boyfriend are both virgins, so it’s not a big deal.</p>
<p>Younger daughter, heading to a medical career, got the shots although she and her boyfriend are also on the virgin track.</p>
<p>No, I’m not naive. Just have very determined daughters not to take any chances of messing up their lives that can be avoided. Younger daughter came home this weekend and I teased her that she could’ve had her apartment to herself and her boyfriend since the roommate came home. Kid said that’s one of the reasons she came home, to avoid temptation.</p>
<p>This is on my radar as the parent of two grown sons. Just read this: [Rise</a> of Throat Cancer in Men Linked to Human Papillomavirus - WSJ.com](<a href=“Rise of Throat Cancer in Men Linked to Human Papillomavirus - WSJ”>Rise of Throat Cancer in Men Linked to Human Papillomavirus - WSJ)</p>
<p>People, can someone who’s better informed list what college-age kids should have had. I believe our girls have had meningitis and gardasil and the boy only the former (I’m ignoring the chicken pox and other ones that are given while younger and the flu variants from last year). They may or may not take some of the tropical disease ones depending on whether they’ll go overseas this year to visit my mom.</p>
<p>I took my younger S to his doctor for a sick visit and saw a brochure re: this vaccine in the office. It advocated the vaccine for both girls and boys. My older S will be a college freshman in Sept; he has an appt in mid June so that his college health forms can be sent in by July 1 deadline, and I’m thinking we should at least discuss this vaccine w/ his doctor. Like others here, I’m a bit apprehensive because it doesn’t have a long track record, probably even more so for boys. Yet it seems worth investigating.</p>
<p>DD had it no issues. Her GYN had her own vaccinated.
If it can prevent even a small chance of cancer it is worth it to me. Sons are too old now but had they been the right age I would have had them vaccinated too.</p>