Questioning HPV Vaccines
Just a quick, “food for thought” post this morning that will hopefully spark some conversation. This week’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine includes two articles that address the fact that we have two widely used HPV vaccines (Gardasil and Cervarix), but still little evidence about their long-term safety, effectiveness, and ability to prevent cervical cancer.
What are your thoughts on HPV vaccines? On the one hand, we want to protect our girls and women and right now these are the vaccines that we have available. This is the opinion that I generally hold, though I do teeter back and froth. On the other hand, as the NEJM points out, we don’t have the evidence to show that our girls and women are actually receiving the protection claimed by the vaccines.
I’m interested in a variety of opinions, discuss!
Sources:
“Health and Economic Implications of HPV Vaccination in the United States” - New England Journal of Medicine, August 21, 2008
“Human Papillomavirus Vaccination — Reasons for Caution” - New England Journal of Medicine, August 21, 2008
“Researchers Question Wide Use of HPV Vaccines” - The New York Times, August 20, 2008
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POSTED IN: Preventive Care, Public Health
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