A Mom’s Perspective :: My Kids Are HPV Vaccinated

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My Kids Are HPV Vaccinated | Columbia SC Moms BlogThere is a post on social media making its rounds from 2014 about a teenage girl whose parents are claiming died from the Gardasil vaccine, 40 hours after receiving it. The post states, “[They were] contacted by the coroner, he told us she died instantly but could not tell them why.” I am deeply saddened by this study and can’t imagine how hard it is to lose a child at such a young age. And without certainty of what caused her death.

The post was shared by an anti-vax group and for all I know they could have grabbed a photo off the internet and made up the story to spark fear. What is even more sad is that because of articles and posts like this one, it could mean a child goes unvaccinated … which greatly increases the chance of him or her contracting HPV. Which can cause cancer. And something most of us are too familiar with, cancer can sadly end in the death of a loved one.

The HPV vaccine was not available to me as a teenager. I wish it was. HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active people get it at some point in their life. I have had two cervical cancer scares and I am still in my late 20s.

Per The World Health Organization, “There are more than 100 types of HPV, of which at least 13 are cancer causing.” I have had cryosurgery and a LEEP procedure to remove pre-cancerous cells. I also personally know at least five other women who have either had cervical cancer or pre-cancerous cells on their cervix. Some of them have had only had one sexual partner.

HPV is not like breast cancer or any other type of disease that women openly talk about. I feel like there is a negative stigma with female reproductive cancers. I never want my daughters to have to go through a LEEP procedure and deal with the anxiety of a cancer scare. Women are more likely to get cervical cancer and men are more likely to get oropharynx cancers from HPV. Yes, men can get, spread, and die from HPV too!

According to the World Health Organization, “In 2012, approximately 270,000 women died from cervical cancer and more than 85% of these deaths occurred in low and middle-income countries. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and is caused by HPV.” Per the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “HPV causes most cervical cancers, as well as some cancers of the vagina, penis, anus, rectum, and oropharynx (cancers of the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils).”

Per the CDC, “From June 2006 through September 2015 when about 80 million doses of HPV vaccine had been given out in the United States, VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) received 117 reports of death after people received the Gardasil vaccine. Among the 117 reports of death, many could not be further studied because there was not enough information included in the report to verify that a person had died. In 51 of the reports, CDC reviewed medical records, autopsy reports, or death certificates and verified that the person had died.”

All three of my children (two girls and one boy) ranging in ages from 11-14 have been vaccinated with the HPV vaccine. They didn’t even so much as get a red mark from the vaccine. I want my children protected and not experience the pain and potential shame of HPV related disease.  

What are your thoughts on the HPV vaccination?

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