In 2006, the Human Papillomavirus vaccine was approved in a bid to prevent cervical cancer on girls. And although boys were also taken into consideration in the coming years, the HPV vaccine has been in the middle of controversial debates. There are people who see its importance in preventing cervical cancer while there are those who have a negative notion on its efficacy.
What puts the vaccine under scrutiny is the fact that it is recommended to girls between 13-26 years of age as well as to boys as young as 9 years old. Parents don’t want to think that at an early age, their kids will engage into sexual activities, although, this can really happen. However, there are also those who want to ensure the safety of their children from HPV infection.
Getting to Know HPV
Human Papillomavirus or HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States and other parts of the world. There are over 100 strains of this virus and four of which are deadly that can cause cervical cancer on women as well genital warts and other types of cancer like anal, vulvar, penile and vaginal. Although there are cases wherein no symptoms are present and no health problems are encountered, its prevalence is still an alarming issue. Thousands of men and women get infected each year since it can be transmitted from skin to skin contact, genital contact or oral sex. It can manifest years after infection making it hard to determine when was the exact time one is going to get infected.
HPV Vaccine
In 2006, the FDA approved the use of Gardasil, an HPV vaccine that targets four HPV strains, namely, HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18. The last two are said to be responsible for about 70% of cervical cancer cases while strains 6 and 11 are attributed to 90% of genital warts. This vaccine is recommended for girls between ages 9-26 and is to be given in a series of shots. As for the case of boys, Gardasil is also recommended starting at the age of 9.
Another HPV vaccine is Cervarix, which aims to target HPV 16 and 18. Recommended age in girls is between 10-25 years old. This vaccine is only for women and should not be mistaken as a protection against other types of sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia, Herpes, Syphilis and Gonorrhea. After the first shot is given, two more will follow. The second will be given after a month while the third will after six months.
List of Pros of HPV Vaccine
1. Prevention is better than treatment thus HPV vaccine is recommended since it can prevent the occurrence of cervical cancer as well as certain cancer types.
One of the reasons proponents are encouraging men and women to be vaccinated from Human Papilloma Virus because it protects people from several HPV strains, 70% of these can cause cervical cancer and two other strains that can lead to vulvar and anal cancers. This breakthrough in medicine is embraced by proponents because of its promise of preventing cervical cancer, a condition that can affect women and girls as young as thirteen who are sexually active. With the introduction of the vaccine, parents will not be worried of their daughters being at risk for getting HPV.
2. Even if a woman has been exposed to one of the HPV types in the vaccine, she can still be protected from the remaining types.
Although the efficacy of the vaccine is lesser on women who have come in contact with either HPV type 16 or 18, they can still be vaccinated. The vaccination will still be effective on the remaining HPV type, making it highly recommendable for women who are sexually active.
3. It is safe to be given to girls and boys.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the safety of HPV vaccines. It also does not have thimerosal and mercury. Thimerosal, also known as thiomersal is compound used as a preservative in most vaccines and contains mercury. It has said to have side effects and can cause allergic reactions. Its absence in the HPV vaccine makes this prophylactic vaccine safe.
4. It does not contain viruses but only proteins.
The HPV vaccine which is injected in the upper arm does not have viruses in it but proteins that act as outer coats of the HPV strains. And because of the absence of viruses, infection due to the injection is highly improbable. What it does is trigger the autoimmune system of the body and the result is the production of antibodies to fight these viruses.
5. It reduced the number of teenagers getting infected with HPV strains.
HPV vaccination caused a sharp drop on HPV infection related to sexual activities among teenagers. Since its introduction in 2006, reports show that there has been a decline in the prevalence of Human Papillomavirus among teenage girls. There are thousands of cases of cervical cancer and deaths and the rate of vaccination can reduce these numbers. Health officials also stated that sexually active girls given the vaccine will less likely contribute to the prevalence of HPV infection even if they will have sexual relations with others who have not been vaccinated. With this development, guidance for the boys have been presented in 2011 since one of the two vaccines in the market was indeed for both boys and girls.
6. The number of women under the threat of having surgery from cervical cancer is reduced.
According to randomized controlled trials done, moderate and high-grade dysplasia or abnormally of a cell that can also lead to cervical cancer is prevented with the use of the vaccine. High-grade dysplasia may be benign but in certain cases, it becomes malignant. This is why doctors often recommend surgical intervention. However, if more women will be vaccinated, there will be fewer women who will need to undergo surgeries to remove cervical cancer.
List of Cons of HPV Vaccine
1. Parents fear that their children will be more sexually active.
One of the concerns of the people who are reluctant on giving the vaccine to their children is the fear that girls and boys will have a sense of security with the existence of a vaccine. Some parents say that this will make their kids feel safe and might lead to promiscuity.
2. It has side effects and can have lingering effects.
Health experts do not discount the fact that the HPV vaccine has side effects like pain, skin redness and swelling on the injected area. It also has rare effects such as indigestion, muscle pain and headaches. There have been reports of parents who complained that after an HPV vaccination, their children experienced adverse effects such as severe headaches, lethargy and fatigue. This is one of the reasons why some parents do not give consent for their kids to have vaccination.
3. Its efficacy is not fool-proof especially in the long term.
Opponents are showing doubts on the duration of the efficacy of the vaccine since the two vaccines, Cervarix and Gardasil are supposed to be in effect for seven and four years, respectively. This is why it is recommended to have vaccinations after the time has lapsed. This is what the critics are concerned about since there is no guarantee that individuals who have been vaccinated and are sexually active will still be interested to get vaccinations.
4. Clinical trials have not proven the effectiveness of the vaccine.
During a systematic review on the conducted clinical trials involving hundreds of participants show that the design of the trials as well as the data proving its effectiveness is insufficient. The researchers said that data results were selective with the exclusion of negative peer reviews and lower efficacy. They also added that despite the absence of evidence that the vaccines actually were able to prevent cervical cancer, these clinical trials stated that 70% of cases have been reduced.
5. The intention might be to prevent cervical cancer but there have been deaths instead.
Opponents, including parents, are voicing their sentiments about the risks involving the use of the vaccine, including deaths. There have been reports of girls dying minutes or several months after getting vaccinated. Traces of HPV fragments have been found in the bloodstream and the vaccine itself. These have raised concerns on some parents about the safety and importance of the vaccine.
6. Cases filed in court are clear signs of the adverse effects of the HPV vaccine.
Lawsuits have been filed against the drug manufacturers, with Merck spending around $5.9 million for settlements and still having pending cases to face. Critics have pointed to these litigations as proof that the vaccines can be harmful instead of helpful to individuals.
Conclusion
Any medication or vaccination, for that matter, has both benefits and side effects. What is important is weighing the pros and cons of the HPV vaccine. People should also take to heart the equal importance of consulting a medical practitioner for a broader explanation of the effects and implications of the vaccine before getting one.