Expert Says Parents’ Apprehensions About HPV Vaccination Are Wrong, Data Proves It
University of Miami pediatrician Judith L. Schaechter, M.D. (L), gives an HPV vaccination to a 13-year-old girl in her office at Miami's Miller School of Medicine on September 21, 2011. The vaccine for human papillomavirus, or HPV, is given to prevent a sexually transmitted infection that can cause cancer.
The American Cancer Society has recently sounded the alarm, as it warns about the HPV vaccine. Incidentally, COVID-19 has resulted in a 71-percent decline in healthcare visits for young individuals aged seven to 17 years old for the last six months.
This result, Forbes reported, has deprived "tweens and teens of the appointments" that, in general, lead to HPV vaccination. However, the numbers dropped even before this global health crisis, with various news companies reporting a 70-percent decline in HPV vaccination rates year on year in April this year.
Possibly, the Forbes report said, COVID-19 has simply provided already-hesitating parents with an excuse not to "get their kids vaccinated just yet."
Experts believe that many of these fears behind their reluctance are possibly based on beliefs and myths that are easily disproven if only parents are willing to look into what research says.
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Some of the Myths
Board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Hina Talib told Forbes recently that the most commonly-believed myth she has ever encountered about HPB vaccination is the apprehension that youngsters are to see vaccination as consent to get involved in sexual activity.
Dr. Talib, who is also an Adolescent Medicine specialist at Children's Hospital at Montefiore added, parents do not agree to the vaccine as they do not want their children to think they are encouraging or allowing them to have sex.
The truth is, this expert said, it's not happening. Studies among teenage individuals present that teenagers who get vaccinated with the HPV vaccine "do not have sex any earlier" than those in the same age range who are receiving other vaccines.
Another myth is that it is acceptable to wait and not have the vaccine until the child is "sexually active." Dr. Talib explained, even in parents who are open to getting their kids vaccinated to protect them from HPV, there is frequently a reluctance to "do so 'too early.'"
Current recommendations propose a routine vaccination age of 11 or 12 for the HPV vaccine approved for administration as young as nine.
Nonetheless, some parents may opt to wait, thinking it is not essential until their child is sexually active. The truth to this myth, the expert, said, is that such recommendations "exist for a reason."
Dr. Talib explained, "We know that the vaccine works better the earlier it is given," and before the onset of those sexual activities.
However, the timing can be tricky, with some studies proposing that 50 percent of all mothers believe their kids to be virgins when they are not.
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A Reminder for Parents
The American Academy of Pediatrics or AAP recently stated HPV vaccine concerns. The said statement also served as a reminder that all vaccines are monitored continuously to guarantee safety even after release.
The AAP has also encouraged parents to talk to the pediatrician of their kids if they have any questions at all as they are there to assist and help them.
Furthermore, when searching for information from the internet, parents must remember to consult only reliable and legit sources such as the AAP and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC.
Talib said, a vaccine that's safe and effective for cancer prevention in youth "is a scientific marvel," adding that "physician parents, like myself," are 100 percent supportive of the HPV vaccine "for our kids, as well."
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Sep 30, 2020 07:40 AM EDT
