Cervical Cancer Vaccine
By jennybianca
@jennybianca (12912)
Australia
April 2, 2007 11:55pm CST
My daughter is amongst the second group of girls to receive the Cervical Cancer vaccine.
"SCHOOL girls at Mount Carmel College, Rosewater, were among Australia's first to be vaccinated against cervical cancer yesterday.
The roll out of the Australian-developed Gardasil vaccine began with injections to about 300 girls by school immunisation nurses.
Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott said cervical cancer rates were expected to fall in future.
"This vaccine prevents the virus thought to be responsible for about 70 per cent of cases," he said. The immunisation is for four types of human papillomavirus which is linked to cervical cancer and genital warts.
State Health Minister John Hill said he was "delighted" to co-operate with the Commonwealth Government's $540 million National HPV Vaccination Program, which will vaccinate about 50,000 South Australian schoolgirls.
"Prevention is so much better than cure," he said.
All girls aged between 12 and 13 are entitled to a free course of the vaccine, while older girls will be vaccinated in a "catch-up" program over the next two years.
Catherine Brosnan said it was a simple decision to have her daughter, Georgie, vaccinated.
"It's an excellent idea when you think about the consequences or possibility of getting this disease," she said.
Women aged 26 or younger can be vaccinated by their doctor from July. Vaccinated women must still have regular pap smear
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21492304-910,00.html
7 people like this
19 responses
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
4 Apr 07
I am in favour of it, and my daughter is getting the vaccine next week.
The Australian Government are very strict regarding new vaccones & medications, & rigorous testing has already been done.
@charms88 (7538)
• Philippines
3 Apr 07
I haven't heard about vaccine for cervical cancer. My country is kind of a little late in catching on the latest vaccinations available. I think this kind of vaccination will be offered to people who have a high risk or have a family history of cervical cancer. I don't know though if I will let my girls get the shot. :)
2 people like this
@desimanero (419)
• United States
3 Apr 07
i think that shot is a good idea.I had cervical cancer twice.Not from HPV but just beacause.......i got it.Ovarian cancer and stuff runs in my family.I went through 2 biopsy's and 2 surgeries and its so irriatting and frustrating and scary.It keeps coming back.I wish they had that shot when i was first diagnosed a few years ago.
2 people like this
@sapphiresage (431)
• United States
3 Apr 07
I hate to burst y'alls bubble, but cervical cancer isn't a huge cancer threat to begin with, and this vaccine has been rushed, pushed and lobbied hard by Merck with minimal research done on it. There is inadequate data on the length of its efficacy, the potential side effects (brain disorders have appeared, but more study is needed to determine if it is a 'serious side effect').
Sorry. My girls won't be getting this. They will, though, be getting regular PAP exams, which is what has dropped cervical cancer nearly to the bottom of the list of fatal cancers. Very treatable if detected early.
Do some more research on it all before you decide to have your child injected with something so poorly tested and politically rushed. Search "cervical cancer stats" to find out what an absolutely miniscule threat cervical cancer has become - most fatal cases are in women who have not had routine PAP tests. Getting your yearly exams is far more effective than having a false sense of security in a vaccine that leaves 30% of all other causes unaddressed.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
4 Apr 07
I would have chosen this if it was available for my daughter, not because I think of her as likely to get the disease, any more than I thought she was likely to get polio. I just like to use all available health tools. I have had a series of Hepatitis C vaccines. I do not envision myself being exposed, but I like the protection that I have gained.
1 person likes this
@cokyjazz (429)
• Australia
28 May 07
Hi,
I'm an Aussie with a daughter.She is too young for the vaccine but i have done alot of research and what i have found out has made me decide to stay well away from it.I gave my input in another post..unfortunately i can't cut/paste here so i'll give you a link to a community(Aus) link with just a few things that have been found out about it.
http://www.oztion.com.au/community/topic.aspx?t=family&tid=127207
i am hopeful that some safe changes can be made to the vaccine by the time my daughter is old enough.
@cokyjazz (429)
• Australia
28 May 07
I hope your daughter is lucky and doesn't suffer.If she does,our government will have a lot to answer for and i believe they do already.I also think it is quite odd for such a new vaccine to already be passed and used in Australia.Usually the government waits till enough tests have been run and time has passed for us to know long term effects.And a BIG question mark as to why girls need the vaccine when it's the boys that pass it on!!
The mind boggles!
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
28 May 07
I checked up the article via the link you gave. The news is not good at all.. aluminion & roach poison. They did not make thse facts well known to us parents.
My daughter had the vaccine 2 months ago. Within hours, she was swimming about 100 laps, so there were no imediate side effects. I guess it's the long term we need to be concerned about.
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
3 Apr 07
We don't think that this is a good vaccine and that consequences could be seen down the road. There is not free here in the states and it appears that the poor will be the ones to suffer for it now. It is like 360 dollars for the shots. I wish your daughter much luck in avoiding anything untoward happening down the road.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
4 Apr 07
What has the US governement or medical authorities discovered that is negative about this vaccine?
The Australian government are normally very strict regarding new medications.
The vaccine is free here for all school students.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
3 Apr 07
They are really pushing this vaccine here in the states and wanting to make it mandatory but it's not free either. I have a big problem with it being made mandatory especially for girls between 12 and 13. The vaccine was only tested on women between the ages of 16 and 26. Who knows how it will react with girls that are preadolescent. The side effects were only tested for 4 years as well and then only on just over 20,000 women; half of which got a placebo. There is nothing to show what the long term effects of this vaccine could be. Let alone with how few it was tested on what the side effects could really be. I think the number they used was way too low for something they want to make mandatory for all girls to have. I have to wonder why they are in such a rush to get this vaccine out there to so many so quickly. They just seem to be rushing it way too much in my opinion.
1 person likes this
@BrittEstep (3)
• United States
3 Apr 07
I think the vaccination is a great idea. We vaccinate for so many other things why no cervical cancer. It is better to prvent that treat.
1 person likes this
@jjwatson28 (572)
• United States
4 Apr 07
I think its a great idea. IF i could vaccinate my daughter to save her from cerviacal cancer you better believe i will. To me its no different than giving them shots for polo,flu,ect.
1 person likes this
@mummyofthree (2715)
•
3 Apr 07
Thanks for sharing this information with us.
I live in the UK and have not actually heard of it. I shall look in to this a little bit to see if it is available here as well.
Do you know if older women can have the vaccine as well? I have a history of it in my family and would feel a bit better knowing that I too was protected.
1 person likes this
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
3 Apr 07
Once again, smaller countries are leap years ahead of the US. Just goes to show again that bigger does not mean better!
Here in the US, people threw a fit when one of the states wanted to make it a mandatory vaccine for school admission. Of course, the big difference is that a free program wasn't offered because here in the good old US of A, the #1 concern is the Almighty Dollar.
For the record, I am for the vaccination, although I am concerned about side effects and how long the vaccine is considered to last.
How did you feel about your daughter getting the vaccine? Was she ok with it? Did she experience any side effects? Thanks for this post!
1 person likes this
@spiritwolf52 (2300)
•
3 Apr 07
I guess as long as you are 26 and under you are lucky. Anyone older than that we will just have to put up with the disease. They need to roll out something for us older women. I think it is a good idea. Maybe it will save a lot of people from suffering.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
3 Apr 07
i'm not sure what i think of the push to make it mandatory in the US,but since so many shots are required just to enroll in school,it's kind of like what's one more?
if it does work well,it would be good for preventative though,better they be saved from possible cancer.
1 person likes this
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
3 Apr 07
I'm glad they now have a vaccine for cervical cancer, which may help save many lives. I do believe that parents should decide whether their daughters should have the vaccine. Since it's so new, I think it should be researched more as to long-term effects and effectiveness. Also, they should come up with a vaccine for the boys, who can also get hpv and pass it on perhaps without even knowing it.
@smyers52000 (37)
• United States
3 Apr 07
I think that vaccine is a good thing. Here is Texas they tried to make it law that all young girls were suppose to have it. It really did not go over well in this state. I think that the people do not like the government telling people that you have to be vaccinated.People like to be able to choose. Myself I would not have my daughter vaccinated right now because I would like to see more information on the long term affects in young girls. My daughter will be old enough in about ten years and by then i think that all the kinks or adverse side affects will be more known.
