tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post6686692812717119769..comments2023-10-18T05:15:26.428-04:00Comments on Divine Comedy of Errors: The HPV vaccineeileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15435132755332951836noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-31446179128250932972007-03-02T20:21:00.000-05:002007-03-02T20:21:00.000-05:00Have you ever have more comments in any of your po...Have you ever have more comments in any of your posts??<BR/>Eileen, I think this is a record, a "sign".<BR/><BR/>I agree with JR, save the CERVIX and be happy with out the risk of an abnormal PAP.<BR/><BR/>caroAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-36678193623660775232007-03-02T09:36:00.000-05:002007-03-02T09:36:00.000-05:00The vaccine isn't approved for males yet, because ...The vaccine isn't approved for males yet, because Merck wanted to get the vaccine on the market ASAP, so the initial clinical trials were done only on women. I think they pushed it as an anti-cancer product instead of an anti-genital warts one for both public health and PR reasons.eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15435132755332951836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-29735616241437226502007-03-02T02:23:00.000-05:002007-03-02T02:23:00.000-05:00Boy O boy... does this blog ever love to throw aro...Boy O boy... does this blog ever love to throw around the "Woe is Woman" card. <BR/><BR/>The HPV vaccine actually protects against four strains of HPV, speficically strains 6, 11, 16 and 18. And while strains 16 and 18 cause %70 of all cervical cancers. strains 6 and 11, cause 90% of all genital warts. Not exactly "dick cancer" but certainly a less than fun disease that afflicts both men and women. So why aren't men being told to line up for the shot, and why aren't we hearing calls from public health officials to vaccinate all boys ages 9-12??<BR/><BR/>I suppose, in the end, public health authorities have deemed fighting cancer a worthwhile enough cause to consider violating personal autonomy for the sake of the greater good and mandating vaccinations. And on the flip side of that coin, they probably decided that genital warts is not serious enough to warrant the same approach... even though lots of boys would be protected from "dick cancer." <BR/><BR/>Incidentally, approximately 70% of all public health school graduates are women, so if you're looking to play the sexism card in the administration of public health decisions, most likely the finger is going to end up pointing at a female administrator. <BR/><BR/>All this being said, I agree with Eileen that this vaccine should be mandatory. Save the Cervix!!J.R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04076278936270660660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-65488838855398974692007-03-01T11:33:00.000-05:002007-03-01T11:33:00.000-05:00The CDC recommends the vaccine for girls 11 to 12 ...The CDC recommends the vaccine for girls 11 to 12 years of age, so Baby Brigita will have a while to wait.<BR/><BR/>Here's some <A HREF="http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/hpv/hpv-faqs.htm" REL="nofollow">more info</A> on the HPV vaccine from the CDC.eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15435132755332951836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-22336973378151049352007-03-01T11:06:00.000-05:002007-03-01T11:06:00.000-05:00PS: Is there an ideal age range for girls to get ...PS: Is there an ideal age range for girls to get the shot? Because all signs point to our next-gen brigita being a girl, and you *know* I'm going to be all over that. At the same time, I'm also going to try to raise her to be a tomboy filled with the realities of sex:<BR/><BR/>"He won't like you more, it'll just be fodder for the locker room! STDs are nasty and pregnancy is forever! Not to mention the fact that you won't even enjoy it! Just take matters into your *own hands* (wink wink, nudge nudge) and we can have this coversation again when you get to college."brigitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14022299673061673801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-29842475409362125502007-03-01T11:00:00.000-05:002007-03-01T11:00:00.000-05:00Kinda like the whole "if men could get pregnant, a...Kinda like the whole "if men could get pregnant, abortions wouldn't be just a right, they'd be a sacrament" argument.<BR/><BR/>And "dick cancer" is eloquent? Oh...you use a very light hand with your sarcasm, Mlle. DCoE. ;)brigitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14022299673061673801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-12216704187644839752007-03-01T09:34:00.000-05:002007-03-01T09:34:00.000-05:00Let me clarify, I used the whooping cough example ...Let me clarify, I used the whooping cough example as an argument to those who are against vaccines because they don't think the goverment should tell them what to do, not specifically as an argument to support the HPV vaccine program. Obviously, STDs are not transmitted as easily as airborne infectious pathogens.<BR/><BR/>However, I feel that it should be mandatory, because many girls who are at high risk for contracting the virus are the same girls whose parents oppose the vaccine for so-called moral reasons. After acquiring HPV, it takes years to decades to develope cervical cancer, so parents make a decision for their teenager are influencing whether or not she may get cervical cancer when she's in her thirties. <BR/><BR/>I do agree that there is an element of sexism in the opposition, but Brigita put it much more eloquently.eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15435132755332951836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-84127774204818557202007-02-28T19:06:00.000-05:002007-02-28T19:06:00.000-05:00I'm really struggling with this one. I do think t...I'm really struggling with this one. I do think that teenage girls should get this vaccine; I don't think it will encourage sex nor do I oppose vaccination. <BR/><BR/>I don't, however, think that HPV is in the same category as whooping cough or smallpox when it comes to required vaccination. I realize that HPV presents a huge public health risk, and a lot will be saved publicly and privately if people don't contract this virus. I also realize that if the vaccine were to be optional many many people who should take it won't, regardless if it's freely provided. <BR/><BR/>All that said, I don't think that we should require people to take a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease. A kid is not going to transmit this disease just by showing up to school, so it shouldn't be required for a kid to get vaccinated to go to school.<BR/><BR/>It comes down to a balance between sacrificing personal liberties to reduce risk to public safety and where do you draw the line between the two. Right now, I think that the line is somewhere between the MMR and the HPV virus. <BR/><BR/>(Note: Everyone I've spoken to about this agrees with you, Eileen, so you're in good company; I just wanted to provide a third arguement). :)Triciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15501803841404865563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-75039015989404555072007-02-28T17:01:00.000-05:002007-02-28T17:01:00.000-05:00Sex, coughing, playing in a pile of rusty nails......Sex, coughing, playing in a pile of rusty nails....all fun and games until someone gets a disease!eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15435132755332951836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-42351035327204639942007-02-28T16:49:00.000-05:002007-02-28T16:49:00.000-05:00Was coughing in public just eqauted with sex?Was coughing in public just eqauted with sex?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-63958420729080202162007-02-28T15:22:00.000-05:002007-02-28T15:22:00.000-05:00The reason that most vaccinations are mandatory, a...The reason that most vaccinations are mandatory, and not optional, is that a certain percentage of people within a population need to be vaccinated in order to preserve "herd immunity." Basically, unvaccinated people serve as a reservoir for infectious disease and allow it to persist in the population. For example, if you don't want to get vaccinated against whooping cough, you're not just increasing your own risk of contracting the disease, you're increaing EVERYONE'S risk. Public health policies are set to best protect the overall population, and they work. Not everyone felt like taking the polio or the smallpox vaccine, either.eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15435132755332951836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-3232763236159430912007-02-28T13:14:00.000-05:002007-02-28T13:14:00.000-05:00I would argue with this on the basis that a person...I would argue with this on the basis that a person should be free to govern their own body. Mandating specific vaccination treatments over others crosses that line. Offering the option to all women is a better way to go I think.<BR/><BR/>However, this situation inches to a level that is far too pervasive. In such a case, I could see supporting mandatory vaccinations to preserve reasonable public health standards. This is assuming that the treatment is safe for the patients and the contracts with the government are not wasteful.The Sagacious Dodgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01658440070735538507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-44989290476357459952007-02-28T12:32:00.000-05:002007-02-28T12:32:00.000-05:00i canʻt think of anything worse than pre-marital s...i canʻt think of anything worse than pre-marital sex, not even cancer. well, maybe livinʻ in sin (but only if itʻs accompanied by a Dunne sisters dance to taunt a Dunne mother ...)buddymollyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17969868764889965592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-49197538949278545082007-02-28T10:24:00.000-05:002007-02-28T10:24:00.000-05:00I can't help but think that people would not be ne...I can't help but think that people would not be nearly as opposed to this if it wasn't so gender-specific. No one would make a peep if it prevented boys from developing some kind of sexually-contracted dick cancer. Sweet jeebus.<BR/><BR/>I loved what Colbert said about this vaccine, comparing it to when ran right out to play in his neighbor's pile of rusty nails after getting a tetanus shot.brigitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14022299673061673801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15092297.post-58956032036325720592007-02-28T08:23:00.000-05:002007-02-28T08:23:00.000-05:00Thank you Eileen! I have had the same thoughts an...Thank you Eileen! I have had the same thoughts and fits of anger over the whole thing. People are living in a dream world and rejecting what IS reality about our teens. Wouldn't it be better to be safe than sorry?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com