CDC: 1 In 4 Teen Girls Took HPV Vaccine

Data Collected Over Past Year; Survey Charted Children Age 13-17

(AP)  About one in four American teen girls last year got the groundbreaking vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, federal health officials reported Thursday.

The figures represent the U.S. government's first full year of vaccination rate data for the Gardasil vaccine, which came on the market in mid-2006. Merck & Co.'s heavily advertised, three-shot series targets the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus.

Health officials recommend that girls get the shots when they are 11 or 12, if possible, before they become sexually active. Also, age 11 is when kids are generally due for another round of vaccinations.

The survey only covered children in the 13-17 age range.

Vaccine proponents had been hoping for much higher vaccination rates, saying the shots could dramatically reduce the nearly 4,000 cervical cancer deaths that occur each year in the United States.

But many families are cautious about the safety of new vaccines, said Patti Gravitt, a Johns Hopkins University associate professor of epidemiology.

Other things about the vaccine may give some families pause. It is expensive, retailing for about $375, although many health insurers now cover it. And there are questions about whether it confers lifetime immunity or if a booster shot will be needed.

"Some parents may be adopting the attitude with their daughters that, 'Well, you're still young. I can wait a couple more years before you're sexually active,"' said Gravitt, who was not involved in the research.

"My personal opinion is that this seems quite reasonable after the first year," Gravitt said, of the 25 percent vaccination rate.

Merck officials said they were pleased with the vaccination rate.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based the study on household telephone surveys done in late 2007. The results are based on nearly 3,000 teens ages 13 to 17 for whom the researchers could verify vaccination information through medical records.

Of the girls in the survey, 25 percent had gotten at least one Gardasil shot.

The CDC, which has been promoting other shots for adolescents, also studied other teen vaccination rates.

About 32 percent of teenagers got a recommended meningitis shot last year, up from 12 percent in a 2006 survey. Also, 30 percent got another relatively new shot, one that guards against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. That's up from 11 percent the year before.

As with the cervical cancer shot, health officials say children should get both those shots when they are 11 or 12.

About 75 to 90 percent of children got the better-known vaccinations that have long been required by schools, such as chickenpox, hepatitis B and measles, mumps and rubella, the study found.

"The overall trends are good news," said Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of the CDC's Division of Immunization Services, in a prepared statement.

"We are seeing more preteens and teenagers being protected against serious, sometimes deadly diseases. But we remain short of our goals. For almost all of these vaccines we want at least 90 percent of adolescents to be fully immunized."

[msamericanpie]

This is not about sin or about God's fury. At least 29 young girls have died of central nervous system inflammation after receiving the Gardasil vaccine. They suffered (among other things) heart problems, seizures, and constant pain before they died. Gardasil contains 225 mcg of aluminum, a known neurotoxin that has been linked with Alzheimer's, ALS, and Parkinson's. The FDA approved it based on clinical trials skewed by the use of both a saline-based and an ALUMINUM-based placebo. This vaccine is more dangerous than any other vaccine this country has seen. 80% of cervical cancer cases occur in third-world countries. Only 3700 or 1.5% of yearly deaths in the U. S. can be attributed to cervical cancer. Yes, cancers are sometimes caused by viruses, but do we want to endanger 25% or more of our nation's young girls for a very slim and uncertain benefit? This vaccine can be formulated more safely. The FDA is supposed to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable. The FDA is accountable to us, the people.

[garbosmed]

There have been about 9000 adverse events reported with the HPV vaccine in the U.S., and more in Europe where the European agencies are looking into deaths associated with the Merck vaccine. FDA allowed Merck to fudge their clinical trials by choosing not to use a saline placebo but instead using one with aluminum adjuvant in it. Its effects on pregnant women and on long term fertility have not been studies. This vaccine contains very high levels of aluminum. Aluminum is a known neurotoxin. For those interested in more information try vaers.hhs.gov, medalerts.org, https://www.nvic.org/Diseases/HPV/HPVHOME.htm

[golfinggirrl]

My doctor/ pediatrition told me that as long as i was doing abstinence she doesnt really recomend the vaccine. But she said when Im older it would be fine.

[godofredo29]

I and a lot of other men have also gotten the vaccine. Where are we in the statistics? Carefully airbrushed out I would say. Thank goodness for the doctors who will give it to you "off label" and out of pocket.

[mollydtt]

One other thought---if your daughter is covered on your insurance, perhaps you can get all three shots with only a copay for each shot.

After your daughter leaves for college, she will have to pay the $475 out of her own pocket if she chooses the vaccine.

In these tough economic times, you can bet that paying $475 for gardasil will be out of the to-do list for just about everyone unless you have insurance.

[mac4440]

Even if the girl reamins a virgin until she marries, can you be sure the man she marries will also be a virgin? My daughter got the shots.

[slim1h2o]

I agree with you fila32, I wouldn''t trust big Pharma as far as I could heave it.

Money grubbers, and leeches the whole lot of them!

And that''s the good part of them. You don''t want to see the bad parts.

[lila356]

This yet another profit making ploy by the pharmaceutical and health care industry. These vaccines have serious side effects and some are deadly.

[hypnotoad72]

Having promiscuous seks or same gender seks is like playing russian roulette with 3 bullets in the chamber, sooner than later one will get a shot of std. Millions have taken the risk and lost, abstinance is the best bet.

Posted by jankebenz
---

As well as trusting a partner who trusts you.

Hmmm, maybe heterosexuality is for the best after all.

Also, 1 in 4 has HPV in NYC. How many more acronyms can we fit in? Wait, that''s not important...

[jankebenz]

Having promiscuous seks or same gender seks is like playing russian roulette with 3 bullets in the chamber, sooner than later one will get a shot of std. Millions have taken the risk and lost, abstinance is the best bet.

[kaviz]

dogbitez, good luck with your research. We have researched and had our daughters vacinated. Good luck with your home school better than medicine attitude.

[mainedoggie]

============
1 in 4 girls were just experimented on, used as guinea pigs, by Merck. This drug has a possible side effect of infertility, among others. In later decades, Gardasil will be viewed as a tragic "mistake" given to millions of young women at puberty. Please, parents... research this vaccine before you sign up your daughters.

Posted by DogBitez
======================



Prove it.

1 in 4 girls were just experimented on, used as guinea pigs, by Merck. This drug has a possible side effect of infertility, among others. In later decades, Gardasil will be viewed as a tragic "mistake" given to millions of young women at puberty. Please, parents... research this vaccine before you sign up your daughters.

[mainedoggie]

============

Thats right and if girls did not engage in pre-marital ***, there would be no need for this vaccine because God would not inflict the girls with this plague for sinning.

Posted by GOP_WILL_WIN

===============

Listen up thug.. God doesn''t have anything to do with this. We are people, we have s.e..x Accept it, get over it. You can''t control it you creepy nut-job.
It happens every second of the day, and all creatures do it. It is not a "sin", dickweed.

GET USED TO IT.

[jt92202]

GOP_WILL_WIN

you have got to be kidding!!! We live in 2008, TV, Movies, Music and Schools promote S*E*X everyday, and I have to trust my daughter when she says no i am not having S*E*X, YEA RIGHT!!!! Do you know that HPV is usually given to a girl by a boy? So saying the girl should not engage in having Pre Marital S*E*X what about the boy? Back in the day when girls didn''t give it up as much where did the boys get it from? The only girls that did give it up so then the boys contracted the HPV and when they married the virgin then they ended up giving the HPV to her. Thats really fair! So when you say the GIRL shouldn''t have S*E*X maybe you should say the GIRLS AND BOYS shouldn''t have S*E*X. But then that would just be denial because there will always be someone having teenage S*E*X. But I guess you never did nor did anyone you knew!!! Again Denial!! My daughter was given the Vacine and I am very happy that I may have helped her never to have cervical cancer, my sister had it, one of my girlfriends have in today. She may not ever have another child and she is only 25 years old. My Daughter weighed the options and decided she wanted to take the shots because she wanted to do the responsible thing. We never know if we do the right thing until later in life at least 1 out of 4 girls have a better chance in not having cervical cancer then the other 3. Life is an experiment some chances are worth taking!!!

[kscb8572]

Really are these comments serious!? You honestly believe that the only way to get HPV (precurser of cervical cancer) is by having *** before marriage. This is a STD that people dont even know they have and has no symptoms. Even if a women is chaste on her wedding night, she can still get HPV if her spouse has had other partners. Which seems to be perfectly acceptable according to the religious fanatics. So if this chaste woman gets HPV, and it develops into Cervical Cancer, then what oh well she deserved it? How is that even right?! Also, this vaccine protects against the 4-5 most common forms of HPV, which account for roughly 70% of cervical cancer cases. Some strains of HPV do not develop into cervical cancer.

[gop_will_win]

HOLD UP!!!

If one in 4 teen girls have been administered the HPV vaccine, this serves as an indication that parents feel the vaccine will serve to protect their daughters from cervical cancer due to the increased probability of them having pre-marital ***.

Now if parents choose this vaccine for their daughter, should the government step in and usurp the parents right to admionister the vaccine or contraception to their daughter?

How would Gov. Palin respond to this question?

Even better, is this one in which she will unconveniently choose not to answer and rather SHOW her case to the American people.


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Posted by patsy_owens
===========================
Thats right and if girls did not engage in pre-marital ***, there would be no need for this vaccine because God would not inflict the girls with this plague for sinning.

[midvale3]

any girl/woman who has received this vaccine increases the risk of having a baby born with birth defects than the girl/woman who did not have the vaccine. This is just another useless vaccine for the drug companies to make more money.


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Posted by justfacts2 at 01:28 PM : Oct 09, 2008


Please site your source for this claim.

[myopinion381]

YohnVilson: It may "possibly" protect against a few strains but not enough to risk a drug they don''t know the side effects of. Our family doctor won''t even give it to anyone.

[yohnvilson]

justfacts2, how could you POSSIBLY have data about birth defects for a vaccine that''s only been on the market for two years?! And OK the vaccine doesn''t protect against every strain of HPV but it doesn''t protect against measles either. Does that make it worthless? It''s good for what it''s good for, and any protection is better than no protection. When they come out with a vaccine that''s effective against all 100+ types of HPV then we can laugh at this one, until then it''s a huge step forward.